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Art Deco Lighting

Period lamps, identified and safely lit

A catalogue of period lighting29 guides

Art deco lamps and fixtures, identified and safely lit

How to spot a 1920s or 1930s piece, tell a period lamp from a reproduction, and plug it in safely. Buying a gift? Start with who will live with it.

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Start with art deco lightingShop by type

Tiered art deco chandelier of glass panels and metal bands in the lobby of the New Yorker Hotel, New YorkTiffany Studios peony table lamp with a leaded-glass shade of pink and red blossoms
Photo: Francisco Anzola / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

What are you shopping for?

All guides
Art deco sunburst chandelier of metal rays on a blue ceilingArt deco lamps and chandeliers
A lit Tiffany-style lamp with an amber leaded-glass shadeTiffany-style and leaded glass
Art nouveau glass table lamp painted with a lakeside landscapeNouveau, bankers and mid-century
A 1920s slag glass table lamp with a pierced metal overlayIs my old lamp valuable, and safe?

Which era is your lamp from?

From art nouveau to mid-century

  1. 1890s

    Art nouveau

    Plants, tendrils and whiplash curves, from the early 1890s to the First World War (V&A).

  2. 1898

    Leaded glass

    Tiffany’s studios introduce leaded-glass lampshades (Neustadt Collection).

  3. 1909

    The bankers lamp

    The first Emeralite desk lamp, with its green cased glass shade.

  4. 1925

    Art deco

    The Paris exhibition of decorative and industrial arts sets the style of the decade.

  5. 1930s

    Streamline

    Speed lines, bullet shapes and chrome (Cooper Hewitt).

  6. 1950s

    Mid-century

    Nelson’s Bubble lamps from 1952, Sarfatti’s starburst 2097 from 1958.

Before you buy

Four checks before you buy a period lamp

  1. Read the word “style”. A listing with a maker and a date describes a period piece; “art deco style” describes a newer lamp. See how to recognize a period piece.
  2. Turn it over. Look for a mark under the base, on the shade and in the metal, and ask the seller for photos of each. See where the marks are.
  3. Check the cord. The CPSC warns that “a frayed or cracked cord could cause a shock or fire.” Plan on new wiring for a lamp with its original cord.
  4. Weigh a chandelier. A standard ceiling box carries a fixture of at least 50 pounds; a heavier one needs its own support and an electrician. See the ceiling box rule.
Tiffany Studios bamboo table lamp with green leaded-glass leaves and a bronze stem
Photo: Tim Evanson / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Tiffany or Tiffany-style?

Is that leaded lamp a real Tiffany?

Probably not, and that is fine. Tiffany Studios is the historical maker; any leaded-glass lamp made later in its manner is Tiffany-style, however well made. Christie's warns that even a “Tiffany Studios” mark is no guarantee, so take a lamp you think is genuine to an auction house or an appraiser.

How to tellSizes and glass

Art deco table, desk and floor lamps

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Who is the gift for?

All lighting gifts
A green-shaded bankers lamp on a wooden desk by a windowThe reader and writerA green-shaded bankers lamp, new for daily use or a signed vintage one.
A small stained-glass table lamp with a floral shadeThe stained-glass loverA small Tiffany-style accent lamp sized for a side table.
An art deco pendant lantern with stepped metal bands and white glassThe old-house ownerA pair of period sconces, or a ceiling light for a 1920s room.
A brass starburst chandelier with colored cone shadesThe mid-century collectorA Bubble pendant or a starburst chandelier, licensed or vintage.
  • The renter who cannot hardwirePlug-in table and floor lamps that move with them.
  • The host of a Roaring Twenties partyDeco table lamps as decor that stay useful afterward.
An antique table lamp with a painted porcelain body and a frosted glass globe
Photo: Thomas Quine / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

An old lamp at home

Is it safe to plug in an old lamp?

Look it over first. A frayed or stiff cord, a plug with two equal blades or a loose socket means it needs new parts before use. A simple plug-in lamp is a common rewiring job; a chandelier or sconce goes to a qualified electrician. Use a bulb no higher than the wattage marked on the lamp.

When to rewireWhat is it worth?

Tiffany-style table, floor and hanging lamps

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Every guide in the catalogue

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