This item is a hand-blown, studio art glass miniature kerosene/oil sparking lamp base (or finger lamp) created in 1988 by master glassblower and historian Frank Stubbins III. Frank Stubbins is a prominent South Jersey glass artist renowned for his work with the WheatonArts Volunteer Glassblowers and the Heritage Glass Museum, specializing in traditional 18th- and 19th-century American glassworking techniques, whimsies, and historic reproductions.
The piece features a molded ribbed/panelled font, an applied solid glass applied looped handle with an ornamental curled lower tail, a flared hollow pedestal base, and an open ground collar designed to accommodate a miniature oil burner collar/cork burner or glass font fitment.
Origin & Artist: Handcrafted in Southern New Jersey, USA, by renowned studio glass artist and South Jersey glass historian Frank Stubbins III.
Age / Production Date: Dated 1988. Hand-engraved on the underside outer rim: F. Stubbins 88.
Material & Construction:
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Hand-blown clear flint studio glass with exceptional clarity.
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Ribbed/panelled globular font blown into a mold in the traditional 19th-century American pattern-molded style.
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Hand-applied curved loop handle with an extended lower curl.
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Flared, hollow-domed foot with a polished pontil/base.
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Fitted with an unthreaded upper lip rim designed for a miniature drop-in oil burner mechanism or cork wick assembly.
Dimensions:
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Height: Approximately 3.5 inches(8.9 cm)
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Base Diameter: Approximately 3.0 inches (7.6 cm)
Condition: Excellent vintage studio condition. No chips, cracks, fleabites, or cloudiness. Clean glass clarity throughout with minor operational shelf wear to the underside foot rim consistent with age and gentle handling.
Authenticity Assessment
The piece features clear, authentic hand-engraved attribution markers on the lower outer underside flange: F. Stubbins 88. The signature exhibits the smooth, continuous script characteristic of Diamond-point or vibro-etch stylus inscriptions made by Frank Stubbins on his studio creations.
Key physical authenticity markers supporting South Jersey studio origin:
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Free-Hand & Molded Execution: Visible structural variations in wall thickness and minor air seed inclusions inherent to traditional off-hand furnace glassmaking.
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Applied Handle Work: The handle displays a classic single-gather application point at the top and a tooling crimp/curl at the lower terminus, typical of WheatonArts / South Jersey traditional bench techniques.
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Finish: Clean pontil finish inside the hollow base dome with minor, authentic, age-appropriate wear rings along the resting rim.
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Item Description and Condition Disclaimer
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