96 - Column-style lamp base made of lacquered sheet metal, brass, and gilded bronze, decorated with palmette motifs.

Column-style lamp base made of lacquered sheet metal, brass, and gilded bronze, decorated with palmette motifs. Bears a plaque reading “Place des Victoires Cotten.” Height (without the socket): 54 cm Note: The Cotten company, established on Place des Victoires in Paris during the second half of the 19th century, is particularly known for its neoclassical-style light fixtures and kerosene lamps. Several documented examples bear the inscription “N. Cotten, patented inventor,” indicating involvement in the manufacture or sale of lighting fixtures. Combining lacquered sheet metal, brass, and gilded bronze, this column-shaped lamp base draws on the ornamental vocabulary of antiquity with its palmette decoration.