Perched Panthers

These panthers are usually perched on a rock, cliff, or log. These panthers are quiet, still, and looking for prey, rather than actively stalking it like the bigger panther lamps.

There are many of this style of lamp - some very similar like the Texans Inc and Phil-Mar. Lane and Co. also produced several models of perched panthers, but they are all very distinctive and not easily confused with others.

Phil-Mar Panthers
These are two styles of Phil-Mar TV lamps. This style, a panther perched on a rock, is very easy to find, especially in black. These also come in brown with a molten green drip glaze (called "Chestnut Lava") that can sometimes be quite striking.

This double stalking panthers is the another style of Phl-Mar panther TV lamp. These come in the same colors as the perched panther. If you look closely, you can see some green glaze within the black. It looks like one is standing on the back of the other, but upon closer inspection, the lower panther is placed in the foreground, and the upper panther in the background, crouched atop a rock.

American Art Pottery/Morton Pottery
These TV lamps from Morton Illinois came in two varieties; a panther standing on a log, and a panther planter. They are identical except that the planter has an opening in the panther's back and there is no log. Still, the underbrush/foliage is the same. This American Art Pottery panther is different from the other ones - it is a solid dark green glaze with speckled foliage of a lighter hue. The Morton panthers have "runny" charcoal/black glazing. I have seen these with green foliage and maroon foliage. I have also seen a greenish-gray one. The shades of color can vary quite a bit, as well as the consistency of the glazing.

There is another planter TV lamp that looks remarkably similar this one by Texans Inc.

Mar-Lita/Texans Inc
Texans Incorporated A505 mountain lion/panther/tiger. These seem to come in many colors, color schemes, and levels of detail. This one comes in several solid colors, including a very bright and cheery yellow glaze. These also come painted as mountain lions, panthers, and even tigers! My mountain lion looks well-made and painted with some care. The panther, on the other hand, looks like it was quickly done with little concern for quality. These look similar to the perched Phil-Mar panthers, but these are slightly smaller, and if you look at the base, you can see a relief of leaves and a couple of circular reliefs. The Phil-Mar panther is instead perched on a rock outcrop.

This Texans Inc. B10 model panther looks very much like the Morton Pottery panthers. There are three differences between them: 1. The Texans panther is almost always a solid color. 2. The Texans has a raised lip around the opening in the panther's back. 3. The foliage under the panther is different - branches and wood instead of leaves.

The style of this Texans Inc. K208 Sportsman panther is a hallmark of Howard Kron, the designer of this lamp. This popular lamp came in white and black glazes. Some had gold accents.

Tiger Panther Planter (nickname)
These also came in solid colors. I have seen a lime green counterpart to this one with black stripes.

Lane & Co.
These panthers are often shackled with a metal collar and chain.

Lane made many other panther lamps that are not included here.

The weasel (nickname)
This does not look like a panther to me. It doesn't really look like any animal I'm familiar with. The face is especially strange - almost human. These are very easy to find in different colors. This is one of the very few TV lamps that can be found in a pink glaze.

The hound-dog (nickname)
These came with and without a hole on top of the stalk, presumably for a lamp fitting. To me, this looks like more like a dog baying at the moon than a panther. These came in many colors. This is often confused for a McCoy Potteries panther planter in a similar scene.

Table lamps

Haeger Panther Table Lamp
Here is another Haeger lamp, though a table lamp. The panther itself can be easily found as an un-mounted figurine. Haeger simply mounted this 18" panther onto a slab of maple (using drywall anchors) to which a lamp fixture was attached. The leopard print lampshade is 24" wide. There is another, larger version of this lamp that has a 24" panther, two light fixtures, and a 30" shade!

Note that the panther is facing right with the right paw extended - it is "backwards". This position does not convey the graceful power of the design as it does when viewed from the left side. On this side, the panther looks guarded, still, and does not imply what could happen the next moment.

Panther Tree Lamp

These panther lamps are very easily found on eBay. These two variations (head-up and head-down) can be easily and cheaply found. Some were made from such worn molds that they became indistinct bumps and blobs. The head-up lamp was possibly made by Van Briggle or Dryden Potteries, but it may have been a design used by several potteries. These lamps often came with Venetian lampshades that look impressive as long as they are not broken and hung upside down (last pic) :-)

Images with * were found online and I do not take credit for them.