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How to Identify Antique Hand-Painted Lamps

In the 19th century, lamps were usually of the oil-burning variety and of a bulbous, upright shape. The introduction of electricity as a power source in the early 1900s brought with it new kinds of specialized side and reading lamps with distinctively shaped shades--conical and semi-cylindrical, respectively. These shades were often brightly colored, although rarely hand-painted, while some ceramic lamps might have had hand-painted vignettes on their midsections.

Things You'll Need

Jeweler's loupe

Instructions

- 1
  Assess the age of the lamp. An oil lamp will have a wick under the shade and a fuel reservoir, in all likelihood still giving off a potent odor. If the lamp is oil-burning, then that points to a 19th century date, although one must still exercise caution as there are reproductions on the market. On an electrical lamp, look for thin, ancient wiring. Look for signs of fading on baize-covered bases and accumulated dust within the shade itself.
- 2
  Inspect the body of a ceramic lamp for hand-painted vignettes or pictorial scenes. If the lamp is in the shape of an organic form, such as a woman or plant, individual details of the design might well have been picked out in color by hand.
- 3
  Inspect the lamp shade; this is where you are most likely to find hand-painted decoration. Remove the shade and inspect a small area of the design with a jeweler's loupe. Hand painting will usually reveal itself under close inspection by a variety of different brush strokes. Check broad washes of color for occasional slight overlaps. Look at fine details to see the way in which they have been shaped.

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