Cobra Desk Lamp by Gino Sarfatti for Arteluce
By Gino Sarfatti, Arteluce
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A black gooseneck 'Cobra' desk lamp resembling a hose that forms a coil base.
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Cobra Desk Lamp
COBRA desk lamp, Kisho Kurokawa, Yamagiwa
By Yamagiwa, Kisho Kurokawa
Located in Neuss, NW
Article Details Elegant COBRA desk lamp by Kisho Kurokawa for Yamagiwa from the 1970s. Black
Category
Vintage 1970s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Mid Century Modern Fiberglass Cobra Desk Lamp Greta Grossman Atomic Era 1950s
$1,815
H 23 in W 15 in D 15 in
Mid Century Modern Fiberglass Cobra Desk Lamp Greta Grossman Atomic Era 1950s
By Greta Magnusson Grossman
Located in Peoria, AZ
Here is an Incredible Greta Grossman style Cobra desk lamp! This lamp is believed to be either a pre
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Brass
Lucite Cobra Desk Lamp, 1980's
Located in Lisboa, PT
and black metal shade and base. Furthermore the desk lamp features a two step switch and shows a
Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
“Cobra” desk lamp by Cosack brothers – Germany 1955
By Cosack Leuchten
Located in Girona, Girona
Fully adjustable desk lamp, coral lacquered sheet metal and brass. Model “Cobra” by the Cosack
Category
Vintage 1950s German Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass, Sheet Metal
1960s Cobra Desk Lamp Style of Greta Grossman
By Greta Magnusson Grossman
Located in Chula Vista, CA
Desk lamp Faded brown vintage desk lamp, Greta Grossman Cobra Style. USA 1960s Los Angeles
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
1947 Antique Gold Cobra Desk Lamp by Jean Otis Reinecke Faries
By Faries Lamp Co.
Located in Chula Vista, CA
For your consideration, a 1947 Antiqued Gold Cobra Lamp by Jean Otis Reinecke for Faries MFG
Category
Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Brass, Copper
1950s Greta Grossman Cobra Desk Lamp Ralph O. Smith Vintage Mid-Century
$1,516Sale Price|20% Off
H 24 in W 12 in D 6 in
1950s Greta Grossman Cobra Desk Lamp Ralph O. Smith Vintage Mid-Century
By Greta Magnusson Grossman, Ralph O. Smith
Located in Hyattsville, MD
, and appears to be all original. 24 inches high when lamp head raised up straight.
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Italian c.1988 Cobra Lamp In Leather By Traso Milano
Located in London, GB
Sublime and large Cobra desk lamp by Traso Milano. Italy, 1988. Base sheathed in brown-stitched
Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass
Cobra Lamp by Philippe Michel Manade Edition
Located in Saint ouen, FR
base Removable lamp H95 x 3 cm x 3 cm Base: L 29 cm x W 24 cm The COBRA desk lamp with its
Category
Vintage 1980s Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
RARE! Mid Century Modern Fiberglass Cobra Lamp Greta Grossman Prototype 1950s
$3,199Sale Price|20% Off
H 23 in W 15 in D 15 in
RARE! Mid Century Modern Fiberglass Cobra Lamp Greta Grossman Prototype 1950s
By Greta Magnusson Grossman
Located in Peoria, AZ
! Here is an INCREDIBLY RARE Greta Grossman style Cobra desk lamp! This lamp is believed to be either a
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Brass
Cobra Art Deco Desk Lamp
By Faries
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Streamline art deco cobra lamp by Faries. In original condition with brass lampshade and polished
Category
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Elio Martinelli, Martinelli Luce Cobra Vertebra Desk Flex Lamp Model 659
By Elio Martinelli
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
late 1970s. The lamp is full flexible with swivel shade and clamp. Italian Serpente desk lamp with a
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Solid Burnished Brass Cobra Desk or Table Lamp with White Shade
Located in Austin, TX
This snake lamp is an exotic accent piece for any room -- bar, study, hall table or powder room
Category
Late 20th Century American Bohemian Table Lamps
Materials
Brass
French Grey Metal Desk Cobra Flexible Lamp by Michel Philippe for Manade
$288 / item
H 25.6 in W 9.45 in D 9.45 in
French Grey Metal Desk Cobra Flexible Lamp by Michel Philippe for Manade
Located in Sofia, BG
French desk flexible lamps Cobra by Michel Philippe made for Manade. Both lamps are made of grey
Category
Late 20th Century French Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
1950s Cosack Cobra Black Mid-Century Brass Desk or Table Lamp, Stilnovo Style
$1,290
H 16 in W 9.5 in D 13 in
1950s Cosack Cobra Black Mid-Century Brass Desk or Table Lamp, Stilnovo Style
By Cosack Leuchten, Stilnovo, Gebrüder Cosack
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful Mid-Century modern Stilnovo-Style „Cobra“ table or desk lamp from the 1950s, executed
Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Aluminum, Brass, Iron
Recent Sales
Cobra Desk Lamp Gilt Metal and Leather, Inscribed
Located in Berlin, DE
Cobra desk lamp of gilt metal with a curved support of stitched leather, inscribed.
Category
Mid-20th Century European Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Art Deco Cobra Desk Lamp
By Edgar Brandt
Located in Elswick, GB
Art Deco wrought iron desk lamp in the form of a Cobra. French, circa 1925. Signed in the metal. An
Category
Vintage 1920s French Art Deco Table Lamps
Materials
Wrought Iron
Red and Gray 'Cobra' Desk Lamp in Steel and Aluminum with Swivel Base by Lupela/
Unavailable
H 15.75 in W 19.69 in D 13 in
Red and Gray 'Cobra' Desk Lamp in Steel and Aluminum with Swivel Base by Lupela/
Located in WARSZAWA, PL
The lamp is made of a combination of aluminum and steel, painted gray and red. It has a rotating
Category
Vintage 1960s Spanish Space Age Table Lamps
Materials
Aluminum, Steel
Pair of Gabrielle D'ali 'Cobra' Desk Lamps
By Gabriele D'ali
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gabrielle D'ali 'Cobra' desk lamps, pair.
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome, Steel
Brass and Black Enamel Cobra Desk Lamp by Laurel
Located in Van Nuys, CA
High style cobra desk lamp by Laurel Featuring heavy mid-century styling with a black enamel shade
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass
Vintage Cobra Desk Lamp, USA, 1960's
Located in Lisboa, PT
This desk lamp was designed and produce in USA, during the 1960's. It features a shade and base
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Chrome
1980s French LED Cobra Desk Lamp by Philippe Michel for Manade
By Philippe Michel, Manade
Located in London, England
An interesting and unusual desk lamp designed in the shape of a Cobra snake. Designed in the 1980s
Category
Vintage 1980s French Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Elio Martinelli Cobra Lamp
By Elio Martinelli, Martinelli Luce
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cobra desk lamp by Elio Martinelli for Martinelli Luce with black swiveling shade
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Postmodern plexi cobra lamp by Lumijura, 1980s
Located in Lyon, FR
Nice cobra desk lamp made in the 1980s in Taiwan, by Lumijura. Plexiglass and metal. Post-modern
Category
Vintage 1980s Taiwanese Post-Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Cobra Style of Greta Grossman Sensational Green Table Desk Lamp, 1950s
By Greta Magnusson Grossman
Located in Chula Vista, CA
Table Lamp Mid-Century Modern table desk lamp in the manner of Greta Grossman's Cobra desk lamp
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Aluminum
Atomic Industrial Age Gooseneck Cobra style Desk Lamp
Located in San Diego, CA
Atomic Industrial Age Gooseneck Cobra style desk lamp, circa 1950s in perfect working condition in
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Elio Martinelli "Cobra" Desk Light
By Elio Martinelli
Located in Dronten, NL
Great desk or table lamp. The shade swivels 360 degrees on the base, making many positions
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Table Lamps
Materials
Plastic
Vintage Metal and Acylic "Cobra" Style Desk or Table Lamps
Located in Toronto, ON
We have a pair of the brass Cobra lamps and a single chrome lamp in the same style. They are
Category
Vintage 1980s Korean Other Table Lamps
Materials
Acrylic
RAAK Cobra Table Desk Lamp with Chrome Accent and Red On/Off Switch
By RAAK
Located in Los Angeles, CA
MOD RAAK Goose neck desk lamp with cobra-like non-flexible body, original European candelabra
Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Cobra Table Lamp by Elio Martinelli for Martinelli Luce
By Elio Martinelli
Located in Dronten, NL
Cobra, model 629, table- desk lamp by Elio Martinelli for Martinelli Luce. Being the first light
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Resin
Iconic Italian Design 'Cobra' Table Lamp by Elio Martinelli
Located in New York, NY
Important Italian Space Age / Mid-Century Modern Cobra table or desk lamp by Elio Martinelli for
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Plastic
1950s Multi Positions Italian Desk /Table Lamp with Brass Accents
Located in San Diego, CA
Elegant beautiful Italian desk lamp, cobra lamp style, in black metal painted original finish, with
Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass, Metal
Italian Mid Century Modern Elio Martinelli "Vertebrae" 660 Large Desk Table Lamp
Sold
H 23 in Dm 12.5 in
Italian Mid Century Modern Elio Martinelli "Vertebrae" 660 Large Desk Table Lamp
By Martinelli Luce, Elio Martinelli
Located in Miami, FL
Martinelli DNA, sibling to the Serpente & Cobra designs! Perfect desk lamp, reading lamp, bedside lamp
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Space Age Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Stilnovo Style Cosack Leuchten Cobra Desk Lamp with Green Lacquer, Germany 1950s
Sold
H 17.72 in W 9.45 in D 14.18 in
Stilnovo Style Cosack Leuchten Cobra Desk Lamp with Green Lacquer, Germany 1950s
By Cosack Leuchten
Located in Silkeborg, Silkeborg
Stilnovo style Cobra desk lamp made of metal with pastel green lacquer and openwork lace shade and
Category
Vintage 1950s German Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Brass
'Cobra' Desk Lamp by Elio Martinelli with Swiveling Top
By Elio Martinelli, Martinelli Luce
Located in Haarlem, NL
Sleek Italian design from the sixties. Very sturdy swiveling shade. Old fashioned quality.
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
1947 Streamline "eye-saver" Cobra Desk Lamp by Jean Otis Reinecke Faries
Sold
H 12.5 in W 10.75 in D 11.5 in
1947 Streamline "eye-saver" Cobra Desk Lamp by Jean Otis Reinecke Faries
By Norman Bel Geddes, Jean Otis Reinecke
Located in Buffalo, NY
Classic Art Deco , Streamline "Cobra" desk / table Lamp designed by by Jean Otis Reinecke for
Category
Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Brass
"Cobra" Table Lamp by Elio Martinelli for Martinelli
By Martinelli Luce
Located in Milan, IT
White version of "Cobra" desk lamp by Elio Martinelli fot Martinelli Luce. 360 degree swivel shade.
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
1970s Yamagiwa Cobra Flexible Desk Lamp by Kisho Kurokawa
By Yamagiwa, Kisho Kurokawa
Located in London, England
A flexible Cobra desk lamp designed by Kisho Kurokawa and produced by Yamagiwa. The lamp is made
Category
Vintage 1970s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Vintage Task Desk Lamp by Christian Dell for Kaiser Idell 1950s Bauhaus
By Christian Dell, Kaiser, Greta Magnusson Grossman
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
A iconic vintage midcentury 1950s desk Cobra task table lamp by Christian Dell for Kaiser Idell in
Category
20th Century German Bauhaus Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Brass
Cobra Desk Lamp
Located in Fairfax, VA
Simple but elegant, this classic brushed and polished brass cobra desk lamp is the perfect addition
Category
Vintage 1950s European Table Lamps
Materials
Bronze
Fagerhults Cobra Desk Lamp 1975
By Fagerhult
Located in 'S-GRAVENHAGE, ZH
Fagerhults Cobra desk lamp 1975. Rounded and balanced, with a funky vintage orange. The goose
Category
Vintage 1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Plastic
1960s Italian "Cobra" Desk Lamp
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Patinated brass desk lamp, the semi-sphere shade mounted on a gracefully arcing support joined to a
Category
Vintage 1960s Table Lamps
Materials
Brass
1960s Italian Brass "Cobra" Desk Lamp
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Patinated brass desk lamp, the semi-sphere shade mounted on a gracefully arcing support joined to a
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Table Lamps
Materials
Brass
Lucite Cobra Italian Desk Lamp
Located in Stamford, CT
Great lucite and brass lamp, signed Boreali Milano. Cool look for any decor. Lamp extends to 25"
Category
20th Century Italian Table Lamps
Materials
Brass
Machine Age Table Desk Lamp Faries Cobra Streamline Art Deco
By Faries Lamp Co., J.O. Reincke
Located in Oakland, CA
Art Deco streamline lamp, complete and restored. A favourite of mine, the famous “Cobra” lamp
Category
Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Copper, Chrome
desk light "Cobra" by Elio Martinelli
By Elio Martinelli
Located in Amsterdam, NL
One of the great icons in lighting design: Martinelli Luce 's table lamp Cobra, ideal to use on
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
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Cobra Desk Lamp For Sale on 1stDibs
Choose from an assortment of styles, material and more with respect to the cobra desk lamp you’re looking for at 1stDibs. Each cobra desk lamp for sale was constructed with extraordinary care, often using metal, chrome and aluminum. There are 12 variations of the antique or vintage cobra desk lamp you’re looking for, while we also have 8 modern editions of this piece to choose from as well. Your living room may not be complete without a cobra desk lamp — find older editions for sale from the 20th Century and newer versions made as recently as the 21st Century. A cobra desk lamp, designed in the Scandinavian Modern, mid-century modern or Art Deco style, is generally a popular piece of furniture. You’ll likely find more than one cobra desk lamp that is appealing in its simplicity, but Gubi, Greta Magnusson Grossman and Elio Martinelli produced versions that are worth a look.
How Much is a Cobra Desk Lamp?
The average selling price for a cobra desk lamp at 1stDibs is $839, while they’re typically $263 on the low end and $8,500 for the highest priced.
Finding the Right Table-lamps for You
Well-crafted antique and vintage table lamps do more than provide light; the right fixture-and-table combination can add a focal point or creative element to any interior.
Proper table lamps have long been used for lighting our most intimate spaces. Perfect for lighting your nightstand or reading nook, table lamps play an integral role in styling an inviting room. In the years before electricity, lamps used oil. Today, a rewired 19th-century vintage lamp can still provide a touch of elegance for a study.
After industrial milestones such as mass production took hold in the Victorian era, various design movements sought to bring craftsmanship and innovation back to this indispensable household item. Lighting designers affiliated with Art Deco, which originated in the glamorous roaring ’20s, sought to celebrate modern life by fusing modern metals with dark woods and dazzling colors in the fixtures of the era. The geometric shapes and gilded details of vintage Art Deco table lamps provide an air of luxury and sophistication that never goes out of style.
After launching in 1934, Anglepoise lamps soon became a favorite among modernist architects and designers, who interpreted the fixture as “a machine for lighting,” just as Le Corbusier had reimagined the house as “a machine for living in.” The popular task light owed to a collaboration between a vehicle-suspension engineer by the name of George Carwardine and a West Midlands springs manufacturer, Herbert Terry & Sons.
Some mid-century modern table lamps, particularly those created by the likes of Joe Colombo and the legendary lighting artisans at Fontana Arte, bear all the provocative hallmarks associated with Space Age design. Sculptural and versatile, the Louis Poulsen table lamps of that period were revolutionary for their time and still seem innovative today.
If you are looking for something more contemporary, industrial table lamps are demonstrative of a newly chic style that isn’t afraid to pay homage to the past. They look particularly at home in any rustic loft space amid exposed brick and steel beams.
Before you buy a desk lamp or table lamp for your living room, consider your lighting needs. The Snoopy lamp, designed in 1967, or any other “banker’s lamp” (shorthand for the Emeralite desk lamps patented by H.G. McFaddin and Company), provides light at a downward angle that is perfect for writing, while the Fontana table lamp and the beloved Grasshopper lamp by Greta Magnusson-Grossman each yield a soft and even glow. Some table lamps require lampshades to be bought separately.
Whether it’s a classic antique Tiffany table lamp, a Murano glass table lamp or even a bold avant-garde fixture custom-made by a contemporary design firm, the right table lamp can completely transform a room. Find the right one for you on 1stDibs.
Questions About Cobra Desk Lamp
- What is the best desk lamp?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertOctober 26, 2021The best desk lamp is a matter of preference — the right fixture can help you work more efficiently while also reducing eye strain. LED desk lamps in the 2700K to 4500K color temperature range often provide a warm and pleasing light under which to work. Shop a collection of antique, vintage, and modern desk lamps from some of the world’s top dealers on 1stDibs.
- Who invented the desk lamp?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2024
No one knows for sure who invented the desk lamp, as many engineers worked on designs for lamps during the 1920s. Many experts cite the Anglepoise lamp, however, as the earliest iteration of the modern desk lamp. Since its 1934 debut, this ingenious task light has become one of the most celebrated examples of industrial design.
How the Anglepoise came to be is the stuff of design legend: In 1932, a vehicle-suspension engineer by the name of George Carwardine joined forces with a West Midlands springs manufacturer, Herbert Terry & Sons, to create a mechanism by which opposed springs would, as Carwardine explained, exert a “unidirectional constant force” on a pivoted lever that could counteract the force of gravity.
This invention was not destined for an auto but for a lamp Carwardine was developing. The innovation would allow the piece’s articulated arm to be moved with ease to almost any position and remain there. As the product of engineering acumen rather than fashion, the Anglepoise soon became a favorite among modernist architects and designers, who interpreted it as “a machine for lighting,” just as Le Corbusier had reimagined the house as “a machine for living in.”
The Angelpoise's rivals include the 1930 Bestlite, which was one of the earliest Bauhaus-influenced designs, created by Robert Dudley Best, who had studied under Walter Gropius at the Bauhaus in Dessau. German modernist Karl Trabert’s 1930s desk lamp for Schanzenbach & Co. was notable for its domed shade above a hinged arm.
Find vintage table lamps and other lighting on 1stDibs. - What is a good desk lamp?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertSeptember 28, 2021A good desk lamp is going to make a substantial difference in any home, office or studio. The ideal desk lamp should provide apt task lighting, be easy to use, and also be aesthetically pleasing. Find a wide range of unique and elegant desk lamps on 1stDibs today.
- What is the best LED desk lamp?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertOctober 5, 2021There are many types of best LED desk lamps for your home — it's really a matter of preference. On 1stDibs, there are modern, mid-century modern desk lamps and other lighting to choose from.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022British designer George Carwardine designed the Anglepoise desk lamp. Before creating the light fixture, he worked as an engineer designing automobile suspension systems. The first Anglepoise lamps debuted in 1931. You can find a variety of Anglepoise desk lamps on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022The desk lamps with the green shade are called banker’s lamps. Banker’s lamps are green because it is believed the color helps to encourage concentration and is mentally soothing. It is also said that green helps with eye strain. You can shop a selection of banker’s lamps from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
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Designed by a giant of Swedish lighting, the large-scale fixtures bring major drama.
This Paavo Tynell Chandelier Is a Radiant Bouquet
The alluring pendant light exemplifies the designer’s winsome mid-career work.
Ettore Sottsass Captures a Shooting Star in This Rare 1970s Floor Lamp
Before founding the Memphis Group, Sottsass bent the rules of lighting design with the wonderfully wavy Cometa.
You Don’t Need a Fictional Fairy to Get This Real Pinocchio Lamp
Warm chalet style meets cool Bauhaus functionality in Pietro Cascella’s cleverly carved creation.
Why Is Italy Such a Hotbed of Cool Design?
Patrizio Chiarparini of Brooklyn’s Duplex gallery sheds light on the lasting legacy of Italy’s postwar furniture boom.
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