How to finish this stained glass lamp?

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

Some years ago, I bought this lamp in an antique mall.

It is stained glass in a cast metal framework that looks to
a brass plated potmetal of some kind. The top portion of the shade is missing. I
always figured I would come up with some kind of replacement shade one of these
days, but so far it has not happened. I would really like to get this finished.

My original fantasy was to find a stained glass artist to
make up something simple. My biggest stumbling block is that I have no clue
what the original top might have looked like. It is the only vintage/antique
upfacing lamp I have ever seen. If I had some idea maybe it would give me an
inspiration for what I could do. Any idea what it would have looked like?

I posted it on the antiques forum some years back and all
people told me was that it was not originally an uplight, but a combination of various
parts. No one had any suggestions for how to “complete” the lamp.

There are 3 small mounting rings on the upper metal edge (hope
they are visible in the photo) which I could use to fasten something on. I did
buy some very similar colored art glass and copper foil from a stained glass supplier.
Decades ago I took a stained glass class but it has been so long I don’t know
if I could manage it now. I would be satisfied
with just 6 panels of glass that extended the height enough.

Anyone have any design ideas? Anyone local (Chicago
area) want to take this on? ;)

Featured Answer

Richard Dollard

8 years ago

You need a metal crafter to make you a proper cap, not stained glass.

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Comments (8)

Shades_of_idaho
10 years ago
No idea other then your six panel idea. It sure is a Lovely lamp even as it is. I would use it. I know very little of stained glass work . I have only done little bit of free hand stuff. Building a rim to fit what is there could be difficult. BUT WOW this is an amazing lamp.
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Bumping this up. I found a stained glass artist, but he wants to know what I want! I don't know what would look good plus look appropriate with the lamp. I would welcome suggestions! Thank you for your ideas.
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linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author
8 years ago
Wow, Richard! I've never seen anything like that! This makes so much sense that it would have something similar to that as a top, yet I never imagined that possibility.

People on another forum kept insisting my lamp was cobbled together out of different parts, and the top was originally hanging by chains from those loops. Yet when I looked at how its constructed, I knew it was a floor lamp.

Those projecting loops on mine could have passed right through the metal top and had decorative but easy to remove bolts so the top could be removed to change the bulb.
Richard Dollard
8 years ago
I'm just wondering how the top piece became lost. You would figure that if the lamp had fallen over the glass would have broken. I have seen lamps like that form time to time in my travels. I found that one on ebay sold items when I looked yesterday. I wonder how the top attached with those loops? Did a decorative screw fit in there to hold the top on? I have an old table lamp with a cobweb design on it also.
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago) thanked Richard Dollard
Richard Dollard
8 years ago
By the way, the glass is called slag glass.
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago) thanked Richard Dollard
Richard Dollard
8 years ago
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-21-Brass-Figural-Woman-Lantern-Lamp-Post-Slag-Glass-Boudoir-Table-Lamp-/201648220103?hash=item2ef32ba7c7:g:SIYAAOSw-itXs5Ui ebay lamp
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago) thanked Richard Dollard
John D'Errico
8 years ago
You could make a cap of stained glass too, similar in shape to that shown by Richard Dollard. This would not be that difficult, and it would then let out some nice light that would shine through onto the ceiling. I suppose I would leave some carefully places vent holes in the top to allow heat to escape.

Note that any cap must be removable, since you might someday need to replace the bulb, even if it is an LED bulb.