Porcelain Rooster Lamp
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Ceramic
Antique 19th Century Chinese Louis XV Table Lamps
Bronze
Vintage 1950s Chinese Chinese Export Table Lamps
Porcelain
Antique 1890s Chinese Table Lamps
Bronze
People Also Browsed
Vintage 1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Side Chairs
Metal, Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Minimalist Side Tables
Marble, Travertine
2010s South African Minimalist Pedestals
Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Textile
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Urns
Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary Bergere Chairs
Linen
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Textile, Wood
Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Metal
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Nickel, Brass
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Table Lamps
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Side Chairs
Wrought Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency End Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Metal
Antique Late 19th Century French Belle Époque Planters, Cachepots and Ja...
Porcelain
20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Table Lamps
Porcelain
Antique 18th Century German Rococo Wine Coolers
Tin
Recent Sales
Vintage 1950s American Modern Table Lamps
Antique Late 19th Century Chinese Chinese Export Table Lamps
Porcelain
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Brass
Antique 19th Century Chinese Chinese Export Table Lamps
Paint, Porcelain, Wood
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Table Lamps
Porcelain
Antique 19th Century European Louis XV Table Lamps
Antique Late 19th Century Chinese Chinese Export Table Lamps
Linen, Porcelain, Wood
Antique Late 19th Century Chinese Ceramics
Porcelain, Wood
20th Century English Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Antique Late 19th Century Chinese Export Table Lamps
Bronze
Vintage 1950s Austrian Table Lamps
Brass
Antique Early 1900s Chinese Table Lamps
Porcelain, Wood
Antique Early 19th Century Chinese Table Lamps
Porcelain
Vintage 1930s Chinese Table Lamps
Porcelain
Antique Late 19th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Table Lamps
Porcelain
Vintage 1960s Italian Hollywood Regency Table Lamps
Brass
Mid-20th Century Table Lamps
Bronze
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.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2023To identify a vintage porcelain lamp, check the base for markings. You may find a date stamp or the manufacturer's name. Check the porcelain for signs of wear like minor scratches and blemishes. If a lamp is in flawless condition, it's possible that it was simply stored well, but it's more likely that the piece is a newer reproduction. A certified appraiser can be of assistance if online research isn't enough to make an identification. Shop a selection of vintage porcelain lamps on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022The best way to determine the age of porcelain lamps is to work with an appraiser. While some online resources can be helpful when you’re looking for information about the value of an item, the suggested value you find may not be the actual value of your item, since that will depend on a number of factors, including the shape it’s in. You’ll find expertly vetted porcelain lamps and other decor on 1stDibs.
Read More
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.
With a High-Tech Flagship and Cool Collabs, Lladró Is Breaking the Mold for Porcelain Production
Thanks to its new leadership, the Spanish maker of figurines, busts and lighting is on a mission to update the art of porcelain for the 21st century.
Christopher Tennant’s Lamps and Dioramas Evoke Sunny Days and Seaside Locales
The former magazine editor blends elements of the Far East and America’s eastern shores, bringing wit and delight to his handmade, upcycled designs.
Paavo Tynell’s Snowflake Chandelier Warms Up Any Room
This circa 1950 piece by the legendary Finnish lighting designer spent the past several decades in a family's home in Michigan.
NASA Parachutes Inspired Lighting Designer Bec Brittain’s New Collection
In "Paraciphers," now on view at Emma Scully Gallery in New York, Brittain introduces works that were more than a decade in the making.
This Handsome Leather Pendant Light Is Crafted Using Saddle-Making Techniques
The Doma by L’Aviva Home nods to Colombia’s equestrian heritage.
Celebrate Spring Year-Round with This Lush Murano-Glass Chandelier
Hand-blown glass makes the Italian fixture glow like dew-covered leaves in the sun.