Product Details

This is a novelty "mini lamp" consisting of a boat-shaped base font with a small loop finger handle, an adjustable metal brass burner collar with a turn-key wick raiser, and a matching porcelain clip-on shade. The floral transferware pattern mimics classic European Chinoiserie or Blue Onion motifs. The Manufacturer: The bottom features a partially torn red and gold foil import sticker. Despite the damage, it can be identified as a "Gainsborough" or "Davins" / "Rubens" era novelty item distributed mid-century. The text clearly shows "Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. Exclusives" and "JAPAN". The Era: Based on the font structure, the style of the brass burner assembly, and the specific foil import label, this piece dates to the 1950s or 1960s, when miniature porcelain lamps exported from occupied or post-war Japan were incredibly popular as vanity collectibles and decorative nightlights. 6 inches tall and 5.5 inches wide.