Large alabaster lamps have long been popular, with older editions for sale from the 19th Century and newer versions made as recently as the 21st Century. Large alabaster lamps made by Art Deco designers — as well as those associated with Neoclassical — are very popular at 1stDibs.
What are the different types of alabaster table lamps?
Vintage alabaster Table Lamp, Antique alabaster Lamp, Desk Lamp, Reading lamp, Piano lamp, Night stand lamp, Romantic light. Decorative lamp Vintage alabaster Table Lamp, Antique Lamp.
What is the history of the lamp?
Humans began imitating the natural shapes with manmade pottery, alabaster, and metal lamps. Wicks were later added to control the rate of burning. Around the 7th century BC, the Greeks began making terracotta lamps to replace handheld torches. The word lamp is derived from the Greek word lampas, meaning torch.
When was the first light bulb invented?
Georges Claude of France invented the neon lamp in 1911. American, Irving Langmuir invented an electric gas-filled tungsten lamp in 1915. This was an incandescent lamp that used tungsten rather than carbon or other metals as a filament inside the lightbulb and became the standard.
How long have we been working with alabaster?
More than two thousand years have passed since the Etruscans started working with alabaster, and still today craftsmen’s capable hands transform blocks of the mineral in beautiful objects.
How do I know if my lamp is alabaster?
Alabaster is a crystalline form of gypsum. In rock form, alabaster is soft and looks like polished marble or onyx. These rocks are light in color with taupe, brown, or beige veining and inclusions. Through-out the rocks are scattered patches of translucent areas.
How can you tell how old a lamp is?
Antique Lamp Supply recommends picking up the lamp and looking for a manufacturer's symbol, name or date stamp embedded into the base. Also look on the lighting fixture itself; sometimes, the manufacturer includes a sticker that includes the name, or date of manufacture.
What is alabaster lighting?
Alabaster Lighting The unique qualities and natural characteristics of genuine alabaster stone diffuse light softly and evenly with an unmistakable translucency. Brass Light Gallery's genuine alabaster is quarried in Spain, and each alabaster light is hand-carved from a single piece of stone by a master craftsman.
How do you clean alabaster lamps?
Cleaning Methods Use a soft cloth moistened with mineral spirits or acetone to clean larger areas. Always work the cloth in the direction of the stone's grain. A more aggressive cleaning method is to wet the alabaster with acetone, and then rub the wet area with a vinyl eraser.
How do you know if a lamp is valuable?
Check the manufacturer's label. Antique lamps designed by prestigious companies will have a logo of their brand somewhere around them. If you can't find the manufacturer's label on it, check for other marks and symbols, they may indicate the hallmark.
What are old fashioned lamps called?
An antique kerosene lamp. Antique lamps are light fixtures from the past that have been re-purposed for current use.
What makes alabaster unique?
Alabaster is a type of soft stone that has been used for centuries to create sculptures and other decorative objects. Its unique properties – it is easy to work with and can be carved into intricate shapes – have made it a popular choice for artists and designers.
What is genuine alabaster?
The purest alabaster is a snow-white material of fine uniform grain, but it often is associated with an oxide of iron, which produces brown clouding and veining in the stone. The coarser varieties of gypsum alabaster are converted by calcination into plaster of Paris, and are sometimes known as "plaster stone".
Where does the alabaster come from?
Important sources of gypsum 'alabaster' are in the areas of Volterra and Castellina Marittima in Tuscany, Italy, and in the Midlands of England. In medieval times, the carving of English alabaster reached factory proportions, and monuments and statues made from the stone are seen in churches across Europe.
How do you identify alabaster?
Alabaster is readily water soluble, while marble is not. Alabaster is softer than marble, however it can be polished to a high, translucent gloss making its surface look deceptively hard and glass-like.
What is the difference between alabaster and onyx?
The Alabaster is a soft, translucent stone, usually white with either black or brown veins or lines throughout the stone. Onyx is a much harder stone and is typically black and white.
How do you tell the difference between alabaster and marble?
Alabaster is softer than marble — which is also considered a soft mineral. Alabaster is 2 on the Mohs scale while marble is 3. This means that marble is twice as hard as alabaster. Marble is just hard enough to be used for monumental sculpture and buildings.
Can you tell the age of a lamp by the plug?
The Lamp Plug to Determine Lamp's Manufacturing Year The lamp cord is also telling of its age. Older electrical lamps had cotton wrapped cords with prongs that were the same size. These vary from modern cords that have one prong longer than the other to fit polarized outlets that didn't become popular until the 1960's.
How do I know if my vintage lamp is valuable?
Lamps are often more valuable when left in an original condition with most or all the original parts. Lightly scratch the underside of the lamp surface to determine the type of material it is made from. Some lamps may appear to be made of metal, but they might also be painted to look and feel just like metal.
How do I know if my oil lamp is vintage?
One excellent way to establish the history of your antique oil lamp is by finding a patent number or date. This is usually on the winder button, but it might also be on the another spot on the burner or base of your lamp. When you find a number of a US-made lamp, look it up on at the US Patent and Trademark Office.
How do I know if my oil lamp is an antique?
Antique lamps have a metal fitting collar that screws into the burner, a metal font-to-base connection and metal fitting holes where the oil is poured into. A real antique lamp also has hardware that is attached to the lamp with plaster.
Vintage Italian Alabaster "Gazebo" Table Lamp
Pair of vintage alabaster boudoir table lamps. French, circa 1940. Features hand-carved ivory alabaster with a square base. Professionally rewired with off-white silk cord. D...
Vintage Petite Alabaster Table Lamp with Silk Shade
Pair of vintage alabaster table lamps, circa 1940s The alabaster is in very good vintage condition and would benefit from a light cleaning The harp is included with no finial a...
Pair of Vintage Alabaster Table Lamps, circa 1940s
Finely crafted large stone lamp pair in very good condition. Striking Urn forms with tall lids in one piece with the urns. With deep carved leafy overhanging rims. Leafy urn bases on...
Very Fine Pair of Tall Vintage Carved Alabaster Table Lamps
Gorgeous pair of Alabaster lidded urn lamps. Masterfully carved with amazing form. Aging gracefully resulting in a light caramel coloring and bringing. Ornate brass fixtures on the t...
Vintage Mediterranean Alabaster and Brass Urn Lamps with Final, a Pair
This exceptional uniquely sculpted decorative pair of Art Nouveau period lamps are designed in dire' bronze. The craftsmanship is such that only an artisan of superb skill would have...
Vintage Doré Bronze and Alabaster Art Nouveau Period Lamps Pair
Rare space age era table lamp, early 70s, made of onyx with sand beige opaline glass diffuser It measures 36 cm in height by 28 cm in width, in excellent storage conditions, fully...
Vintage "Space Age" Onyx and Opaline Glass Table Lamp, 1970s
Neoclassic column early 20th century Art Deco Albaster lamp French vintage alabaster column lamp with beautiful veining. Very soft and warm light in your interior, patio or garden....
Who invented the incandescent lamp?
Thomas A. Edison' s lamp became the first commercially successful incandescent lamp (circa 1879). Edison received U.S. Patent 223,898 for his incandescent lamp in 1880. Incandescent lamps are still in regular use in our homes, today.
Who invented the light bulb?
Henry Woodward of Toronto, who along with Matthew Evans patented a light bulb in 1875. Unfortunately, the two entrepreneurs could not raise the financing to commercialize their invention. The enterprising American Thomas Edison, who had been working on the same idea, bought the rights to their patent.
Why are glass chimneys added to lamps?
Around the same time, small glass chimneys were added to lamps to both protect the flame and control the flow of air to the flame. Ami Argand, a Swiss chemist is credited with first developing the principle of using an oil lamp with a hollow circular wick surrounded by a glass chimney in 1783.
What was the first fuel used for lighting?
Early lighting fuels consisted of olive oil, beeswax, fish oil, whale oil, sesame oil, nut oil, and similar substances . These were the most commonly used fuels until the late 18th century. However, the ancient Chinese collected natural gas in skins that were used for illumination.
When were terracotta lamps invented?
Wicks were later added to control the rate of burning. Around the 7th century BC , the Greeks began making terracotta lamps to replace handheld torches. The word lamp is derived from the Greek word lampas, meaning torch.
When did Edison make the light bulb?
Using lower current, a small carbonized filament, and an improved vacuum inside the globe, Edison successfully demonstrated the light bulb in 1879 and, as they say, the rest is history. Suffice it to say, light bulbs developed over a period of time.
When was the central burner invented?
In the 18th century , the central burner was invented, a major improvement in lamp design. The fuel source was now tightly enclosed in metal, and an adjustable metal tube was used to control the intensity of the fuel burning and intensity of the light. Around the same time, small glass chimneys were added to lamps to both protect ...