@sparkie this might sound like a dumb question,but was it an incandescent lamp?

Yes it was! A 40w GE golf ball shaped bulb to be exact - in the base of a lava lamp.

I had one that exploded. It was a Philips 90w Econ-o-watt inside frosted lamp. The cause was weird. The outer glass had a very slow leaking hairline crack. I left it on and later in the day I found the bulb had gone black and shattered!

Thought the Econ-o-Watt label were for fluoros lamps. Never seen a incandescent econ-o-watt lamp. Do you have a pic of it and the box? So I can recognize them when I see it.

FGS, I'll post a pic of an NOS 80s Philips 90w Econowatt with its 2 bulb sleeve in a day or two. Yes Econ-o-watt was applied to reduced wattage incandescents also.

I remember, in one particular hotel I stayed in one time, the bulbs were weird! They were Philips surge proof bulbs, that was the only place I saw them!

Not too long ago, I bought a new GE quartz halogen flood and had it lit for about a day without any problem. Then I left for a few hours.....while the lamp was dimmed on a variac controlled fixture, came back, and noticed the lamp stopped working. I looked at the lamp and noticed that the quartz tube inside was shattered to a million pieces. I returned the lamp to Lowes and got my money back!

Not too long ago, I bought a new GE quartz halogen flood and had it lit for about a day without any problem. Then I left for a few hours.....while the lamp was dimmed on a variac controlled fixture, came back, and noticed the lamp stopped working. I looked at the lamp and noticed that the quartz tube inside was shattered to a million pieces. I returned the lamp to Lowes and got my money back!

and knowing Lowes, they probably put it back on the shelf!

Reminds me of when I plugged on christmas lights when I was 7 and one of the lamps exploded. I was afraid! It took me an whole year before plugging christmas lights again! 

Ever hooked a Christmas lamp up to a 9 volt battery, it's really bright for a few minutes, and then it goes out leaving a nice silvery coating on the glass! 

sometimes i hook an incandescent lamp with a broken filiment up to a microwave oven transfromer its fun to watch the orange and bluesih glow,i usually let it run until the filiment is vaporized down to the lead wires,that leaves a nice silvereish coating on the bulb!