This authentic 18th to early 19th-century open single-pan fat/grease lamp (commonly referred to as a "Crusie" or "Crusie Lamp") represents early colonial hearth lighting. Hand-forged from wrought iron, it features an elongated pear-shaped font with an integral wick channel at the apex, a hand-formed vertical upright bail arching over the oil pan, and a twisted wrought-iron suspension rod ending in a sharp iron pick/hook. Attached to the top arched bail is a forged iron swivel spike hook designed to stick into wooden beams or hang over hearth mantels, complete with an attached twisted iron wick pick used to adjust grease-soaked wicks.

The piece exhibits hand-hammered texture, authentic forge welds, and an uncleaned, dark oxidized surface. An old hand-written museum/collection inventory accession number ("75.16") is visible on the underside of the oil reservoir.

Origin & Age

• Origin: Early American Colonial or Western European (Germanic / Penn-Dutch hearth origin)

• Era/Age: Late 18th Century to Early 19th Century (c. 1780 – 1830)

Material & Physical Specifications

• Material: Hand-forged Wrought Iron

• Height: Approx. 4.5" (pan to top of vertical arched arm; excludes swivel hook and chain assembly)

• Length: Approx. 5" (back of arch to tip of spout)

• Weight: Approx. 200 grams

Condition Very Good Antique Condition. Structural integrity is intact with no modern repairs, breaks, or welds. Shows authentic hand-forge pitting, light surface rust oxidation, and untouched natural dark patina. Old black collection paper/paint accession label "75.16" remains on the bottom.

Authenticity Assessment This piece displays key physical markers of late 18th to early 19th-century hand forging:

• Metallurgical Texture & Tooling: Hand-hammered metal surface exhibiting variable thickness, subtle hammer facets, and non-uniform iron grain typical of pre-industrial charcoal-forged wrought iron.

• Joinery & Assembly: A hand-hammered rivet pin secures the top suspension swivel hook to the flattened upper arch without modern electric spot welds, machine threads, or post-1880 fasteners.

• Wick Pick & Hook Design: The attached pick rod features a period-correct decorative twist forged directly into the square rod stock, along with a dual-function hook and sharp spur tip designed for driving into timber beams.

• Provenanced Inventory Mark: The underside bears a historical hand-inked white accession number "75.16" on a black ground, confirming past inclusion in a formal private or museum collection.

Reference

• Book Title: Colonial Lighting

• Author: Arthur H. Hayward

• Reference: Dover Publications Edition, Chapter II: "The Fat Lamps – Crusies and Bettys", pp. 12–18 (illustrating single and double open wrought iron crusies with swivel hooks and wick picks).

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