Hermès Statue Lamp with Greek Key Glass Shade
Located in Cookeville, TN
Hermès carries his lighted torch in this spelter metal lamp from the late 19th century. The statue has a satin frost etched Greek key pattern lamp shade.
Marble, Spelter
Bronze Lamp with Silenus Figure After Original Discovered at Pompeii
Located in Dallas, TX
an Italian bronze figure of Silenus (companion and tutor to Dionysus, the god of wine and festivals in Greek mythology) after original statue / oil lamp discovered at Pompeii, the fi...
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.