Septer mark KPM, 1837-1844.

Polychrome painted, gold decorated. H 21 cm.

"Döbereinersches Platinum Lighter". Cylindrical body with stepped stand and lid with glass bell, brass nozzle with lever and holder for platinum sponge/net. On the front side of the body a rectangular cartouche depicting a pair of oriental lovers (Ismayl and Maryam?), gold rocaille painting on the verso. Comes with cardboard box with platinum net. Glass bell without zinc piece, minimal bumping on the lid and corpus inner rim, minimal gold abrasion.

In 1823, Jena chemist Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner (1780-1849) discovered that hydrogen self-ignited on a platinum sponge or net and developed a lighter. The function of the lighter is as follows: The body contains diluted sulfuric acid, and the glass bell of the lid, which is immersed in it, contains a piece of zinc. The sulfuric acid reacts with the zinc to produce hydrogen gas. At the upper end, the glass bell is closed by a valve. When this is opened by operating the lever on the lid, the gas in the glass bell jar flows through a nozzle onto a platinum sponge/net. A so-called oxyhydrogen reaction occurs and the heat released eventually ignites the gas mixture.

Literature : https://www.chemie.de/lexikon/Johann_Wolfgang_D%C3%B6bereiner.html as of 07/25/22 https://gnegel.de/index.php/doebereinersche-feuerzeuge/ as of 07/25/22

Provenance : Formerly from an estate of Wilhelm Freytag, who together with Heinrich Witte was tenant and manager of the Fürstenberg porcelain manufactory from 1862 to 1872 (Witte until 1878). The table lighter was a gift from KPM Berlin to Wilhelm Freytag.