Curved Desk Lamp by Roche Bobois
By Roche Bobois
Located in Basildon, London
Introduce a touch of elegance and sophistication to your workspace with the Curved Desk Lamp by
Metal
Jacques Adnet Curved Desk Lamp With Black Leather Trim, France 1950's
By Jacques Adnet
Located in New York, NY
Desk lamp made for various embassies by Jacques Adnet, this one bears a bronze medallion
Brass
European Modern, Desk Lamp, Brass, Glass, Europe, 1970s
Located in Manhasset, NY
European Mid-Century Modern, Desk Lamp, Brass, Glass, Europe, 1970s A brass and glass curved desk
Brass
$1,995
H 14 in W 9.5 in D 10 in
Brass Desk Table Lamp, Italy, C 1950, Curved Brass Base with Red Metal Shade
Located in New York, NY
Brass table lamp with a red metal shade. This lamp is from Italy, C 1950. The lamp has not been
Brass
An Edwardian Desk Lamp After Benson
By W.A.S. Benson
Located in London, GB
England, circa 1910 An Edwardian curved arm brass desk lamp, with original switch to the base, and
Brass
Black Metal Curved Desk Lamp, France 20th Century
Located in Chicago, IL
A vintage French black metal desk lamp featuring a curved tubular body with a circular base and a
Metal
Desk Lamp Edition Ecart International by Mariano Fortuny
By Mariano Fortuny
Located in Hanover, MA
Sweepingly curved desk lamp signed in 1903 by the Italian textiles and dress designer Mariano
Oak
Chrome Curved Arm Desk Lamp
Located in New York, NY
Chrome
Sold
H 13.78 in W 5.52 in D 14.18 in
Mid-20th Century Curved Brass, Enamel and Carrara Marble Italian Desk Lamp
Located in London, GB
A mid-20th century Italian desk lamp with curved brass stem, Carrara marble base, and adjustable
Carrara Marble, Brass, Enamel
Sold
H 13.78 in W 5.52 in D 14.18 in
Mid-20th Century Curved Brass, Enamel and Carrara Marble Italian Desk Lamp
Located in London, GB
A mid-20th century Italian desk lamp with curved brass stem, Carrara marble base, and adjustable
Carrara Marble, Brass, Enamel
Sold
H 14.18 in W 12.21 in L 14.18 in
French Art Deco Black and Brass Desk or Table Lamp with Curved Stem
Located in London, GB
An Art Deco black and brass desk lamp with domed shade and base, with curved stem. Currently
Brass, Enamel
Sold
H 17 in W 8 in D 12 in
Mid-Century Modern Sonneman Curved Lucite and Chrome Bulb Table Desk Lamp, 1970s
By Robert Sonneman
Located in Keego Harbor, MI
For your consideration is a fabulous, curved clear Lucite and chrome bulb table lamp by Robert
Chrome
A Brass and Copper Desk Lamp After Arte Fontana
Located in London, GB
A mid twentieth century desk lamp, with curved and articulated brass neck, domed copper lampshade
Brass, Copper
Sold
H 15.75 in W 14 in D 3.5 in
Mid-Century Modern Arcobaleno Halogen Black Desk Lamp Marco Zotta, 1970s, Italy
By Marco Zotta
Located in Keego Harbor, MI
For your consideration is an original, Arcobaleno, curved black enameled aluminium, halogen desk
Aluminum
Desk or Bridge Lamp Curved Carmel Slag Glass Shade
Located in Ottawa, Ontario
Desk or bridge lamp curved carmel slag glass shade, five-curved glass original glass on a solid
Brass
Mariano Fortuny Desk Lamp for Ecart International
By Fortuny
Located in Vienna, AT
Mariano Fortuny, the sweepingly curved desk lamp is made of chrome with a solid brass and black lacquered
Chrome
Curved Brass Desk Lamp
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Quite unique desk lamp made of a bent brass tube, holding a single light bulb.
Brass
Curved Art Deco Brass and Copper Desk Lamp, Midcentury, France
Located in Den Haag, NL
Curved Art Deco brass and copper desk lamp, midcentury, France.
Brass
Early Italian Curved Brass Desk Light
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Table lamp, brass, Italy, 1940s. This little elegant Italian table light is made by means of a
Brass
Sold
H 13.78 in W 5.52 in D 14.18 in
Mid-20th Century Curved Brass, Enamel and Carrara Marble Italian Desk Lamp
Located in London, GB
A mid-20th century Italian desk lamp with curved brass stem, Carrara marble base, and adjustable
Carrara Marble, Brass, Enamel
Sold
H 15.36 in W 11.82 in D 19.3 in
Mid-20th Century brass Metal Desk Lamp with Curved Double Stem and Domed Shade
Located in London, GB
A mid-20th century brass desk lamp with domed shade and curved double stem with articulating joints
Brass
1950s Gilt Metal Desk Lamp with Original Yellow-Painted Tole Shade
Located in Palm Beach, FL
A scroll curved gilt metal desk lamp with it original yellow painted tole shade. From Branca Casa B
Metal, Tôle, Brass
Vintage Curved Brass Desk Lamp
Located in New York, NY
Vintage brass curved bar desk/bookshelf lamp. USA, 1960's.
Brass
Modernist Chrome Desk Lamp, French 1930s
Located in Hoboken, NJ
Modernist chrome desk lamp, the curved shade supported by three arms, the flanges wrapping around
Chrome
Le Chevallier Style Desk Lamp, French, circa 1930
By Jacques Le Chevallier
Located in Hoboken, NJ
Nickeled bronze and mahogany desk lamp, curved nickel shade overlooking the mahogany base having
Nickel
Beautiful 1950s Table Lamp
Located in Maastricht, NL
Wonderful 1950s table or desk lamp. The curved brass stem holds the wiring on one end, and the
Brass, Metal
French 1930s Nickel Pivoting Task Lamp
Located in Hoboken, NJ
Nickel desk lamp, the curved nickel shade pivoting on two arms raised from the rectangular base
Nickel
$1,530 / set
H 9.85 in W 5.91 in D 3.94 in
pair of wall lamps sconces barovier&toso 1950s - barovier & toso
By Barovier&Toso
Located in taranto, IT
pair of murano glass wall sconces in white color machined, 1950s Barovier&Toso production, with brass construction elements, brass wall bracket. Made with the "dew" technique, that ...
Brass
$3,800 / item
H 15 in Dm 19.63 in
VOLARE Large Pendant Light in Dark Bronze & Blown Glass by Blueprint Lighting
By Blueprint Lighting, Josef Hoffmann
Located in New York, NY
Volare draws inspiration from a collection of ornate pendants discovered by founders Kelly and Josh during a family trip to Washington, D.C. Featuring a substantial 20" pressed-glass...
Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Nickel
$6,541Sale Price / item|20% Off
H 26.78 in W 70.87 in D 36.23 in
Gervasoni Sofa Upholstered Saia 10 by David Lopez Quincoces
By David Lopez Quincoces, Gervasoni
Located in Brooklyn, NY
With balanced lines, the Saia upholstered collection is created from a classic ideal reinterpreted in a contemporary key. The name, meaning "skirt" in Portuguese, illustrates its dis...
Upholstery
Solana Wall Sconces
By Blueprint Lighting
Located in Westport, CT
The "Solana" wall mount sconce or reading light is strongly influenced by Scandinavian, Danish, French, and Italian Mid-Century Modernism. The walnut back plate (available in natural...
Enamel, Brass
Pair of Murano Glass Wall Sconces, Art Deco Style, in Stock
Located in Miami, FL
Pair of Murano glass wall sconces, in stock Fume color and horizontal striation texture Black opaline finials and brass accents Art Deco inspired design. Gives off warm beams of lig...
Brass
$2,800 / set
H 14.75 in W 8.5 in D 4 in
Pair of Art Deco Style Murano Glass Demi Lune Wall Sconces, in Stock
Located in Miami, FL
Pair of Art Deco style Murano glass demi lune wall sconces, in stock One LED E26 base socket. Black glass sphere and brass fittings. Textured Murano glass, Wired to the American sta...
Brass
Bertu Bar Stool, Cicely Modern White Oak Bar Stool
By Bertu Furniture
Located in Oak Harbor, OH
Bertu Bar Stool, Cicely Modern White Oak Bar Stool This Modern White Oak Bar Stool - The Cicely is beautifully constructed from solid wood in Ohio, USA. It was style-spotted at the ...
Wood, Oak
LU Louis SM Sconce
By Lumfardo Luminaires
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The handsome LU Louis SM Sconce is a smaller version of our LU Louis Sconce, an all brass wall sconce in lightly patinated brass with patterned perforations by Lumfardo Luminaires. M...
Brass
$3,800
H 81.3 in W 39.38 in D 18.31 in
Antique Tall Oak Cabinet, Made by a French Cabinetmaker, Late 19th Century
Located in Odense, DK
This is a late 19th-century antique tall oak cabinet, crafted by a skilled French cabinetmaker. The cabinet features a sturdy, classic design typical of the period, with a rich oak f...
Wood, Oak
$5,365 / item
H 42.01 in W 25.99 in D 1.19 in
Mid century style Ceiling Suspended Mirror with Bronze Patina Frame, Vintage N.4
By Alguacil & Perkoff Ltd.
Located in London, London
Mid-century style Vintage N.4 ceiling suspended mirror with a high quality pure brass full frame with a bronze patina finish. This piece is part of our original and fully customisabl...
Brass, Bronze
Kai Kristiansen Walnut and Mohair Mohair Velvet Bench
By Kai Kristiansen
Located in London, England
A beuatiful bench designed by Danish master Kai Kristiansen in the 1950s and now produced under license by Dagmar in Denmark. This hand-made to order bench has a solid walnut frame ...
Mohair, Oak, Walnut
$412
H 13 in Dm 6.7 in
Art Deco wood table lamp with nickel- plated metal and fabric shade vienna 1920s
Located in Wien, AT
Art Deco wood table lamp with nickel- plated metal and fabric shade vienna 1920s Metal nickel - plated The fabric shades is replaced ( new )
Nickel
$1,600 / item
H 16.5 in W 8 in D 8 in
Travertine Marble Rectangular Tall or Drink Side Table Tower Table Chiseled Edge
Located in Chicago, IL
Italian travertine rectangular tall side table, end table or a great drink table. Each table is composed on different travertine slabs making each table unique. Rustic edge travertin...
Travertine
Handmade Tile Top Lith Side Table, by Lynnea Jean
By Lynnea Jean
Located in Aitkin, MN
The Lith Collection by Lynnea Jean Inspired by a love for vintage tile tables and the desire for hands-on creation, the Lith Side Table was born. This exquisite piece is a harmoniou...
Ceramic, Oak
$1,153 / set
H 14.5 in Dm 4 in
Rupert Nikoll Pair Brass & Bamboo Nightstand, Table Lamps, 1955, Austria
By Rupert Nikoll, J.T. Kalmar
Located in Biebergemund, Hessen
Elegant nightstand or table lamps designed and manufactured by Rupert Nikoll in 1950s, Vienna. The lamps feature a solid brass tripod base with typical Nikoll bamboo tube elements. G...
Brass
$3,214Sale Price|30% Off
H 19.3 in Dm 26.78 in
Italian Mid-Century Coffeetable Brass Plated Iron Base and Glass Top, 1950s
Located in Salzburg, AT
Light-footed, Italian side table Gueridonin brass plated iron. The base was forged from iron and then brass plated. In the lower part of the rings, the brass layer is already slightl...
Brass, Iron
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.
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.
Working with resin, a tricky material, has created moments of failure — and enlightenment.
Commissioned for the lakeside villa of a Finnish industrialist, it illuminated visits with dignitaries.
Across New York, there’s no shortage of statement lighting on view.
The 1920s design is a thrilling combination of saturated colors, ancient motifs and modern aesthetics.
Designed by a giant of Swedish lighting, the large-scale fixtures bring major drama.
The alluring pendant light exemplifies the designer’s winsome mid-career work.
Before founding the Memphis Group, Sottsass bent the rules of lighting design with the wonderfully wavy Cometa.
Warm chalet style meets cool Bauhaus functionality in Pietro Cascella’s cleverly carved creation.