Collection III3 plates
Lamp shades for vintage, deco and Tiffany-style lamps
Replacement shades for old lamps: fabric shades and fitters, art deco glass and slip shades, and leaded Tiffany-style shades.
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A new shade is often the simplest way to bring an old lamp back into use, but the first question is how the shade attaches, not how it looks. Old lamps take three kinds of shade, each with its own fitting.
| Shade | How it attaches | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Fabric or paper | A spider fitter on a harp, an UNO fitter on the socket, or a clip on the bulb | Vintage lamp shades |
| Art deco glass | Slips into a holder, or is held by a ring, a clip or screws on the rim | Art deco lamp shades |
| Tiffany-style leaded glass | A top plate over a short threaded rod, held by a finial | Replacement Tiffany lamp shades |
Old House Lights, an archive of antique lighting catalogs, says mismatched and replacement slip shades are extremely common on 1910s to 1930s pan ceiling fixtures, and that collectors trade single shades to complete a set. For a Tiffany-style lamp, size the shade to the base: one shade seller pairs a 16 inch shade with a base about 22 inches tall.
Vintage glass and fabric lamp shades
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Lamp shades
Plate XVII
Art Deco Lamp Shades: Shapes, Glass and Slip Shades
What art deco lamp shades looked like, from etched glass cones to frosted slip shades, and how to find a replacement shade that suits a deco lamp.
Photo: Tim Evanson / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0Plate XXII
Replacement Tiffany Lamp Shades: Sizes, Bases and Fit
How a leaded Tiffany-style shade sits on its base, how to size a replacement to the lamp, and what to check on a cracked or pre-owned glass shade.
Plate XXVI
Vintage Lamp Shades: Finding the Right Replacement Shade
How to measure an old lamp shade, size a replacement to the base, match the fitter and shape, and clean a vintage fabric or paper shade safely.
Other collections: Art deco, Tiffany-style and leaded glass, Other eras, Value, care and wiring
Frequently asked questions
Can any shade go on any lamp?
No. A fabric shade usually sits on a harp, glass slip shades slip into a holder, and a Tiffany-style shade rests on a short threaded rod held by a finial. Lamps Plus notes that fabric shade fitters are not interchangeable either.
What should I measure first?
The fitting. For a fabric shade, note the fitter and measure the top, bottom, slant and height of the old shade. For glass, measure the neck or rim that meets the holder. For a Tiffany-style shade, measure the rod and the base height.
Sources
- How to Measure a Lamp Shade and Select the Right FittingLamps Plus
- Pan and Slip-Shade Fixtures (1910 to 1935)Old House Lights
- Help with Replacement Glass Tiffany ShadesTiffany Shades Direct
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