Italian Sputnik Lighting
Mid-20th Century Italian Space Age Chandeliers and Pendants
Chrome
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Rock Crystal, Crystal, Nickel
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Rock Crystal, Nickel
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal, Brass
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Chrome
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
20th Century Italian Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1980s Italian Flush Mount
Murano Glass
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Chrome
Vintage 1960s Italian Chandeliers and Pendants
Chrome
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Aluminum, Brass
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Aluminum, Chrome
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Wire, Brass
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Art Glass, Murano Glass
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Murano Glass
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Chrome
Vintage 1960s Italian Chandeliers and Pendants
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Enamel, Chrome
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Metal, Chrome
Late 20th Century Italian Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Aluminum, Brass
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Nickel
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Art Glass, Murano Glass
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Art Glass, Murano Glass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Chrome
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Flush Mount
Metal
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Steel
Vintage 1970s Italian Hollywood Regency Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and...
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Chandeliers and Pendants
Murano Glass
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and...
Brass
Vintage 1960s Italian Hollywood Regency Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Chrome
2010s Italian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Steel
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Flush Mount
Brass
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Brass
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Metal, Chrome
Vintage 1970s Italian Space Age Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Chrome
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Italian Sputnik Lighting For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is an Italian Sputnik Lighting?
Finding the Right chandeliers-pendant-lights for You
Chandeliers — simple in form, inspired by candelabras and originally made of wood or iron — first made an appearance in early churches. For those wealthy enough to afford them for their homes in the medieval period, a chandelier's suspended lights likely exuded imminent danger, as lit candles served as the light source for fixtures of the era. Things have thankfully changed since then, and antique and vintage chandeliers and pendant lights are popular in many interiors today.
While gas lighting during the late 18th century represented an upgrade for chandeliers — and gas lamps would long inspire Danish architect and pioneering modernist lighting designer Poul Henningsen — it would eventually be replaced with the familiar electric lighting of today.
The key difference between a pendant light and a chandelier is that a pendant incorporates only a single bulb into its design. Don’t mistake this for simplicity, however. An Art Deco–styled homage to Sputnik from Murano glass artisans Giovanni Dalla Fina (note: there is more than one lighting fixture that shares its name with the iconic mid-century-era satellite — see Gino Sarfatti’s design too), with handcrafted decorative elements supported by a chrome frame, is just one stunning example of the elaborate engineering that can be incorporated into every component of a chandelier.
Chandeliers have evolved over time, but their classic elegance has remained unchanged. Not only will the right chandelier prove impressive in a given room, but it can also offer a certain sense of practicality. These fixtures can easily illuminate an entire space, while their elevated position prevents them from creating glare or straining one’s eyes. Certain materials, like glass, can complement naturally lit settings without stealing the show. Brass, on the other hand, can introduce an alluring, warm glow. While LEDs have earned a bad reputation for their perceived harsh bluish lights and a loss of brightness over their life span, the right design choices can help harness their lighting potential and create the perfect mood. A careful approach to lighting can transform your room into a peaceful and cozy nook, ideal for napping, reading or working.
For midsize spaces, a wall light or sconce can pull the room together and get the lighting job done. Perforated steel rings underneath five bands of handspun aluminum support a rich diffusion of light within Alvar Aalto's Beehive pendant light, but if you’re looking to brighten a more modest room, perhaps a minimalist solution is what you’re after. The mid-century modern furniture designer Charlotte Perriand devised her CP-1 wall lamps in the 1960s, in which a repositioning of sheet-metal plates can redirect light as needed.
The versatility and variability of these lighting staples mean that, when it comes to finding something like the perfect chandelier, you’ll never be left hanging. From the whimsical — like the work of Beau & Bien’s Sylvie Maréchal, frequently inspired by her dreams — to the classic beauty of Paul Ferrante's fixtures, there is a style for every room. With designs for pendant lights and chandeliers across eras, colors and materials, you’ll never run out of options to explore on 1stDibs.
- What is a Sputnik light?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertOctober 19, 2021A Sputnik light refers to many variations of lighting fixtures that have been designed over the years with a starburst shape and numerous bulbs on the ends. Well-known versions include a mid-century modern classic by Gino Sarfatti and an expressionistic icon by J. & L. Lobmeyr. The crucial feature of what is usually nicknamed a Sputnik light — which comes from a famous Soviet Union satellite’s name — is that it has a core surrounded by multiple arms with light bulbs. This makes it an excellent option for creating ambient light. Find a collection of antique and vintage lights on 1stDibs today.
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