Art Deco Art Glass Globe Table Lamp Mounted on Cast Metal Dolphin Base
Located in Bedford Hills, NY
The shade is supported by a highly detailed cast metal base depicting stylized dolphins, resting on a stepped plinth.
Metal
Four Light Iron Floor Lamp with Dolphin Base
Located in Miami, FL
Four-light iron floor lamp with inverted bell-form glass shade and dolphin-form base.
Iron
Pair of Regency Style Dolphin Base Bouilllotte Lamps
By Warren Kessler
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Exquisite pair of Regency Style Bouillotte lamps with original silk shades made by Warren Kessler who created many lamps for the White House.
Fine Patinated Brass Dolphin Table Lamp, with Green Marble Base
Located in London, GB
A fine late 19th century patinated brass dolphin lamp, with wonderful undulating tail, all surmounted on a green marble base.
Marble, Brass
Pair of 19th Century Bronze Dolphin and Swan Bouillotte Lamps
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Large and regal pair of late 19th century Bouillotte lamps with dolphin base and swan arms. Finished at top with beautiful bronze dolphin finial.
Bronze, Tôle
Pair of Mid-Century Pink Murano Footed Lamps
By Murano 5, Barovier&Toso
Located in Stamford, CT
Curvy gold flecked dolphin-footed base. Newly rewired, each lamp takes one standard bulb.
Blown Glass
A Dolphin Base Acanthus Fountain Alabaster Table Lamp
Located in Charleston, SC
A table lamp with a square block base dolphin base stand holding an acanthus leaf fountain with gadroon top and one upper light.
American Pair-Point Glass Table Lamp with Dolphin Base
Located in Salt Lake City, UT
A early-twentieth-century, American lamp with painterly pair-point lamp shade of a marshland and ducks mounted on a silvered metal base of three dolphins.
Silver
French Single Light Bouillotte Desk or Table Lamp
Located in Fairfax, VA
Classic Empire style with bronze dolphin base Bouillotte desk or table lamp.
Bronze
Antique table lamps became a category of their own once electricity moved light off the wall and onto furniture. The form split quickly: task-driven designs like the Anglepoise on one side, decorative ceramic and glass on the other.
Styles to Know
Base material shapes the light as much as the shade does: ceramic and glass diffuse a softer glow, while brass and metal read more directional. Layer the look with a mid-century modern floor lamp for ambient light, or set a pair on a mid-century modern nightstand for a bedroom.
How to Choose the Right Vintage Table Lamp
Buying individually rather than as a pair allows more flexibility when mixing eras across a room. For those shopping by name rather than by shape, the history of the Anglepoise lamp is worth a read. Each piece comes from a vetted 1stDibs seller, with era, designer and condition detailed, and the 1stDibs Promise stands behind every purchase.
Designer Eva Menz wants the light to "evoke curiosity and a sense of wonder."
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.