This unusual lamp has a teapot (or coffee pot) base. It is handmade and electric. The pot, shade, and spout are cone forms with the geometric design continued in the triangular forged handle. Both base and shade are made from copper sheet that was formed and closed with a riveted lap seam. The metal surface has a hammered texture and dark brown patina that is characteristic of the Arts and Crafts Movement style.
That Movement from the 1880s to the 1920s in England and the United States promoted the ideals of handcraft in reaction to industrialized labor. The hammer mark on metal objects was evidence of hand labor. A coppersmith of this period was Dirk Van Erp, who is reknowned for his beautiful copper lamps with mica shades. The shade on this teapot lamp has the same shape as many of Van Erp’s mica shades.