Carlos Remes Lighting.
A brief history.
In the world of lighting and quality interior design objects, the name Carlos Remes is held in very high regard. “Carlos Remes lamps” is a term strongly associated with quality Oriental lamps and Chinese ceramic and porcelain table lamps.
John Carlos Remes was, in reality, a bit of a trailblazer. In the early 1960s, Carlos Remes was already an experienced importer of Chinese and Oriental porcelain.
During this time he saw an opportunity to import and convert Ginger Jars, Temple Jars and Urns into the quality and sought after table lamps that his name later became associated with.
Carlos Remes, the company was founded in the early 1970s and the story of wonderful and quite beautiful Carlos Remes Oriental table lamps began.
I have worked in Vintage and second-hand lighting for many years and have come across a large number of Carlos Remes lamps, these vintage lamps are always made from quality heavy ceramics with quality decorations.
Some have been large statement lamps that are too big for one person to carry all the way down to smaller lamps that have been rebadged and sold in high-end department and furniture stores.
Here I would like to review and show you a Carlos Remes Oriental Table lamp.
This is a late Vintage lamp that dates from 1997. The lamp has a classic and iconic shape of a lidded ginger jar. The porcelain is made in two parts and is fitted with a brown moulded wooden base and brass fittings. This lamp measures 45 Cm High x 21 Cm Diameter.
When you handle a Carlos Remes ceramic lamp you really notice the weight, this lamp is made from quality Chinese original ceramic porcelain which is thick, well made and heavy.
This lamp is made from sparkling White ceramics which offer the perfect background to a highly detailed and beautifully hand applied Gold decoration which is called “Lotus Scroll”
The decorations on this older lamp are very nicely done and would have been hand applied using various templates.
A lovely touch and a real sign of quality are highly detailed and well-applied borders which finish each area of lotus scroll decoration. Just below the lid sits a dense leaf border, at the base this border is repeated above a scrolled border. This lower finishing decoration is inset with two raised enamel coloured motifs, another sign of quality and attention to detail.
The wooden base on this lamp is made from a modern pressed and moulded wood with an aged brown finish. The base has a three-footed raised design and suits the lamp perfectly.
In Use.
This lovely older Carlos Remes lamp was found at a local auction house. It had clearly been left unused and unloved for some time as it was a bit dirty and in need of a good polish. After a clean, a tighten up and a rewire the lamp is now back to its best.
When fitted with a lampshade and put to use the profile and decorations of this Carlos Remes lamp really come to life.
Finding your own Carlos Remes lamp.
Sadly these wonderful lamps are no longer made, this makes finding one a search of the second-hand market place. If you are lucky enough to find a really early Carlos Remes lamp then chances are that you will own an original conversion made in the early days of the company. These early versions are often very beautiful having been converted from Chinese homewares. If you are lucky enough to find an early version keep hold of it as it will be an investment in late 20th Century lighting history.
There are many Carlos Remes available on the second-hand market. As always the internet is a great place to look but nothing beats getting your hands dirty at an Antique fair, Vintage emporium or a good old fashioned flea market.
How do you identify a lamp as Carlos Remes?
Many Vintage Carlos Remes lamps are identified by a simple small sticker fitted to the underside of the base, often these stickers were hidden under a felt protective bottom finish so a bit of peeling and peeking may be required.
On a lamp like the one above the identification label is on clear display under the wooden base, this label does not state the Carlos Remes name but has the Carlos Remes Northampton factory postcode as part of the maker number, this was often done because the light was sold to a furniture or homeware retailer who preferred to keep manufactures names hidden to aid possible repeat business for the retailer.
If you have any questions on this review or have anything to add I would love to hear from you. If you own a lovely old Carlos Remes Lamp and would like to send me an image of your lamp in situ and/or in use I would be happy to include them into this post.
Thank you.
michael@hertfordshire-lighting.com