An Early 18th Century Gimballed Iron Cage Oil Lamp

divisor line

EARLY IRON CAGE GIMBALLED
WHALE OIL LAMP

Crew's quarters and cargo hold gimballed oil lamp image

An Old 18th Century Crew’s Quarters, Forecastle,
Cargo Hold, Ship’s Lamp!

 SPECIFICATIONS:  

Markings None    Cage diameter  8
1/4” inches    The bail adds 1″        Weight  2 lbs. 10
oz.

PRESENTED
is an old and rusty round cage made of bent iron rod stock in the shape of a globe centered within which is an oil 
reservoir that serves as a lamp. The reservoir is held stable in a horizontal position by two separate
flat iron rings that are called gimbals. There is a gimbal that works in the fore and aft direction which stabilizes
the pitching motion
of the vessel’s movement and a gimbal that is oriented to each side
of the vessel or port and starboard beam which stabilizes the rolling motion of the hull. The lamp originally had two wicks
which provided the illumination.

The clever, but rudimentary design of this lamp tells us that it was used in areas such
as the forecastle which is where the crew lived and ate, and in the cargo hold when cargo was loaded or off loaded. 
The whale oil lamps used in passenger areas were much more ornate. The picture below is of an engraving of the death of Lord
Nelson in 1805.  We believe the lamp being sold predates the one pictured.

The artist was A.W.
Devis who had 11 officers recreate the seen aboard the HMS Victory.

PROVENANCE: The lamp was recently discovered
in
Kidderminster,
Worcestershire, England in a Canal Lock cottage.

Very early ship's gimballed oil lamp for cargo hold and crew's
                                    quarters image
The inside
of the lamp showing the reservoir and the two wick holders
 

CONDITION:
The lamp’s cage is in good condition and is complete in all respects. The cotter pin which holds the top to the bottom
is a recent replacement. The gimbals swivel as they should, but we have not tested the oil reservoir which is missing
two wicks.  There is an accumulation of surface rust on all surfaces. There are no markings.

showing the top and bottom of the open cage image
The open
top and bottom of the cage
divisor line
Shipping & Packaging

The cost of shipping, packing, handling, and insurance to your destination, will be calculated point to point and is an additional charge. You may email us to get these costs. We price our shipping honestly, but we expect to be reimbursed for the nominal cost of packaging materials and handling.

Our Unconditional 'No Nonsense' Guarantee

If not completely satisfied with your purchase it may be returned, if without damage, within three days of receipt in its original packaging. Return items must be insured for their full value. Only a prior email authorization by us for the return is required. Shipping charges are refundable if due to our error within the continental United States.

International buyers welcome, but inquire first. We have satisfied customers worldwide.

Standard Forms of Payment

Bank wire transfer, cashier’s check, money order, or personal check in which case the item will be held until cleared. Our prices are quoted net to us so that the use of credit cards or PayPal incur extra charges. Terms on overseas sales are different.

Established in 2003

Celebrating 18 Years of Exellence in Nautical Antiques

Join Our Mailing List


By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: Land and Sea Collection. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact