I just couldn’t resist making at least one web page about Art Deco lamps because they’re just so much fun! There’s something great about these lamps that is sometimes hard to even describe; part art, part lamp, part whimsy, part fun… you just can’t beat an Art Deco lamp. I know you agree with me because you’re here! I originally built this website as a touch lamp website, but well – Art Deco deserves its place too.
On this page I’m going to discuss Art Deco lamps in fairly great detail. I’m going to talk a little bit about their history and different kinds you can expect to find; and I’m also going to spend a good amount of time on prices; what you expect to pay, and where you can expect to find the best deals.
First a little history lesson: I don’t know about you but when I think Art Deco the 1920s and 1930s immediately spring to mind. Images of nude female figurines lounging in different ways wrapped around globes and other objects of alabaster or maybe marble or some other material that you might not necessarily think of when you think of lamps. For some reason the Moulin Rouge comes to mind, how about you? In fact the Art Deco movement began around 1900 and ended right around 1930. Of course it hasn’t really ended because you can still buy pieces that they’re making today. That time frame was when the most prolific of it happened.
What killed the movement? Well if you can believe it, it was the Great Depression! When people lost all their money when the stock market crashed, they suddenly couldn’t spend the huge sums needed to purchase these things anymore. When you have to choose between food and a lamp, you choose food, I guess! Then the second world war rolled around and, well, the movement just never came back.
Some Terms You might Run Across: spend much time looking for these lamps and you’re going to run across several different terms such as faux, Mandarin Ivory, Dore, nouveau, retro, patina, polychrome, solid bronze, white metal, plinth, chryselephantine and others. They’re not particularly important, but if you are curious you may want to look up the definition of some of them! I thought I might define them here but then I realized that I didn’t really want to!
How About Prices? Enough about history and terms, let’s get down to prices! There is a difference between two different categories of lamps that we need to discuss first. On one hand there are knockoffs. These reproductions are quite nice but they’re not the original lamps. You can find them anywhere from $50 to $150 just about anywhere. On the other hand, you have originals that were produced during the 1920s and 1930s. They cost much more money, much much more. Depending on the lamp you might pay $300 to $1,000 or more for a single piece.
There is a third category that I’m hesitant to discuss but is something you may want to look into. It’s what I call nicer knockoffs. These are produced by reputable companies using modern techniques and the price range for this category usually tends to fit in the hundred and $150-$400 range depending on how large the lamp is and how intricate its design may be.
Finding the right Art Deco lamp to fit your personality and your decor can almost be as fun as having it in your home. The search can be exciting and even exhilarating. Luckily the Internet has become a fantastic tool for searching out Art Deco lamps, and that’s where I advise you to look first before hitting department stores or antique stores.