Six-Arm Austrian Chandelier, circa 1950
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Large 38" Diameter solid brass Mid-century Austrian Sculptural chandelier with six arms. The
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Six-Arm Austrian Chandelier, circa 1950
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Large 38" Diameter solid brass Mid-century Austrian Sculptural chandelier with six arms. The
Brass
Empire Style Bronze Ram's Head Chandelier
Located in New York, NY
Six-arm Empire style ram's head chandelier. Solid brass and bronze, nice and heavy. Has great
Brass, Bronze
Italian Enameled Solid Glass Pendant, circa 1960's
By Stilnovo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Italian enameled solid glass pendant, circa 1960's.
Brass
$1,431Sale Price|20% Off
H 18.51 in Dm 18.51 in
1950s, Chandelier designed by Carl Fagerlund for Orrefors, Sweden
By Orrefors, Carl Fagerlund
Located in Silvolde, Gelderland
An elegant six-arm chandelier in solid brass, featuring textured Orrefors art glass shades. Each
Brass
Marz Designs "Orb Pendant Light, Small - Solid Rod"
By Marz Designs
Located in BYRON BAY, NSW
This timeless and simple pendant light features a 200mm, 95mm or 60mm glass globe. This light is a great compliment to any room with its minimalist and classic shape. This is the per...
Metal, Brass, Nickel
Marz Designs "Orb Pendant Light, Mini - Solid Rod"
By Marz Designs
Located in BYRON BAY, NSW
This timeless and simple pendant light features a 200mm, 95mm or 60mm glass globe. This light is a great compliment to any room with its minimalist and classic shape. This is the per...
Metal, Brass, Nickel
Marz Designs, "Orb Pendant Light, Large - Solid Rod"
By Marz Designs
Located in BYRON BAY, NSW
This timeless and simple pendant light features a 200mm, 95mm or 60mm glass globe. This light is a great compliment to any room with its minimalist and classic shape. This is the per...
Metal, Brass, Nickel
$3,250
H 52 in W 68 in D 68 in
Thomas O’Brien “Canto Grande” 4-Arm Chandelier for Visual Comfort, Contemporary
By Visual Comfort, Barbara Barry
Located in Los Angeles, CA
. Executed in solid brass, the chandelier features four sweeping, sculptural arms radiating from a fluted and
Brass
$717Sale Price|20% Off
H 14.18 in Dm 14.18 in
Cone-Shaped Hanging Lamp made of solid Murano Glass and Oak
By J.T. Kalmar
Located in Hannover, DE
Solid, high-quality, heavy Murano glass with confetti in the shape of a cone will inspire you. A
Brass
$1,164 / item
H 36.23 in W 6.7 in D 6.7 in
Marz Designs, "Terra 00 Pendant Light - Solid Rod", Ceramic Timber Pendant Light
By Marz Designs
Located in BYRON BAY, NSW
Crafted with a combination of two contrasting half domes, Terra 00 is available in pendant light, wall and ceiling-mounted formats. The Terra 00 Pendant Light is made up of a slip-ca...
Aluminum, Brass
$5,742 / set
H 27.56 in Dm 17.33 in
Pair of Large Kinkeldey 5 Tiers and Gilt Metal Crystal Chandeliers, 1970s
By Kinkeldey
Located in Rijssen, NL
crystals are hand polished and secure to the frame with solid brass decorative cylinder screws. This
Crystal, Brass
$3,470 / set
H 15.75 in Dm 15.75 in
Stunning Marked Crystal and Gilt Metal Chandelier, Kinkeldey, Germany, 1970
By Kinkeldey
Located in Rijssen, NL
crystal rods are suspended. The removable crystals secure to the frame with solid brass decorative
Crystal, Metal
Large, Custom Italian Murano / Venetian Clear Glass Sputnik Spike Chandelier
Located in New York, NY
blown clear Murano glass spikes to form a Sputnik. Details are in solid brass. Dimensions of chandelier
Murano Glass
$8,256 / set
H 27.56 in Dm 17.33 in
Set of Four Kinkeldey Faceted Crystal and Gilt Metal Light Fixtures, Germany
By Kinkeldey
Located in Rijssen, NL
solid brass decorative cylinder screws. This chandelier carries horizontally inside the frame six
Crystal, Gold Plate
Italian Mid-Century Modern Brass Sunburst/Sputnik Flush Mount by Stilnovo
By Stilnovo
Located in New York, NY
Elegant, sober Italian Mid-Century Modern solid brass flush mount fixture / chandelier by Stilnovo
Chandeliers — simple in form, inspired by candelabras and originally made of wood or iron — first made an appearance in early churches. For those wealthy enough to afford them for their homes in the medieval period, a chandelier's suspended lights likely exuded imminent danger, as lit candles served as the light source for fixtures of the era. Things have thankfully changed since then, and antique chandeliers and pendant lights are popular in many interiors today.
While gas lighting during the late 18th century represented an upgrade for chandeliers — and gas lamps would long inspire Danish architect and pioneering modernist lighting designer Poul Henningsen — it would eventually be replaced with the familiar electric lighting of today.
The key difference between a pendant light and a chandelier is that a pendant incorporates only a single bulb into its design. Don’t mistake this for simplicity, however. An Art Deco–styled homage to Sputnik from Murano glass artisans Giovanni Dalla Fina, with handcrafted decorative elements supported by a chrome frame, is just one stunning example of the elaborate engineering that can be incorporated into every component of a chandelier. (Note: there is more than one lighting fixture that shares its name with the iconic mid-century-era satellite — see Gino Sarfatti’s design too.)
Chandeliers have evolved over time, but their classic elegance has remained unchanged.
Not only will the right chandelier prove impressive in a given room, but it can also offer a certain sense of practicality. These fixtures can easily illuminate an entire space, while their elevated position prevents them from creating glare or straining one’s eyes.
Certain materials, like glass, can complement naturally lit settings without stealing the show. Brass, on the other hand, can introduce an alluring, warm glow. While LEDs have earned a bad reputation for their perceived harsh bluish lights and a loss of brightness over their life span, the right design choices can help harness their lighting potential and create the perfect mood. A careful approach to lighting can transform your room into a peaceful and cozy nook, ideal for napping, reading or working.
For midsize spaces, a wall light or sconce can pull the room together and get the lighting job done. Perforated steel rings underneath five bands of handspun aluminum support a rich diffusion of light within Alvar Aalto's Beehive pendant light, but if you’re looking to brighten a more modest room, perhaps a minimalist solution is what you’re after. The mid-century modern furniture designer Charlotte Perriand devised her CP-1 wall lamps in the 1960s, in which a repositioning of sheet-metal plates can redirect light as needed.
The versatility and variability of these lighting staples mean that, when it comes to finding something like the perfect chandelier, you’ll never be left hanging. From the natural world-inspired designs of the Art Nouveau era to the classic beauty of Paul Ferrante's fixtures, there is a style for every room.
With designs for pendant lights and chandeliers across eras, colors and materials, you’ll never run out of options to explore on 1stDibs — shop a collection today that includes antique Art Deco chandeliers, Stilnovo chandeliers, Baccarat chandeliers and more.
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.