The decoration on this lamp, made in the early twentieth century, harks back to the previous century's enthusiasm for floral ornamentation with a style all its own. Undecorated bands alternate with floral panels, while the arms issue from two lion heads on either side of the shaft. The firm that produced the lamp, Gebrüder Gutgesell, was one of many manufacturers of silver objects in Hanau in the early twentieth century.
The lamp was purchased in Germany by the donor's family, who then moved to Antwerp in the early part of the twentieth century. It was left behind when the family fled to the United States in the 1930s, but was somehow untouched by the German officers who occupied their apartment. The marks on the lamp parallel the history of the family indicating it was made in Germany and was imported into the Netherlands, perhaps during their move to Antwerp.