Friday Favorites: The Vintage Lamp

Welcome to the first of many Friday Favorites! Today the Seven Magpies team will be sharing some of our favorite vintage lamps.

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My favorite lamp of all time is this vintage ceramic lamp stand that doubles as a woman in medieval dress. It's made of a heavy, hollow ceramic and the base is painted gold. The texture and drapery in her dress makes for fantastic shading when the lamp is turned on! The low cut neckline on her kirtle and her delicate mantle date the figure back to probably the 14th or 15th centuries.

Unfortunately, I have no information on when this lamp was created or exactly how vintage it is! I found it hidden at a consignment store a while back and its sellers only knew that the lamp was very old and treasured by its previous owner. Has anyone else seen lamps similar to this?

Another fantastic lamp that resides in my home is this vintage amber lamp from the mid 1960s. We found this guy at an estate sale and updated the lampshade. Even with the sleeker shade, it still is in a time of its own and I can totally picture it in a setting that matches its funky coloring and curves!

One thing that's really interesting about this lamp is the contrast between the more ornate base and the mod stand. It definitely adds a little bit of intrigue to the design. I also love the way the amber color has been intensified by the curvature and twisting lines wrapping the stand. This amber lamp (much like others from its more recent era) add a little retro spin the whichever room it calls home and is the perfect statement lamp!

-Ellen

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It wasn't until Ellen began posting about vintage lamps that I realized it's an area of antique decor that we have sorely neglected in our small farm home. I used to have a couple of lamps from the 60s years ago in my dorm room, but they have since been replaced by more practical, less eccentric lighting.

The one vintage lamp that we do have, however, is a gorgeous green banker's lamp, an original "Emeralite" that supposedly was made in the 1920's. 

Green lamps like this have been used in banks, libraries, and other close workspaces, for over one hundred years, and their calming blue-green light (thought to increase creativity and mind power) was the signature of the lamps produced by "Harrison D McFaddin". This one currently sits on my husband's drawing desk and its green light adds a calming glow to our living room as he works into the wee hours of the morning. 

--Emily

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Do you have any vintage lamps in your home?