# Can you tell me anything about these lamps?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-anything-about-these-lamps/854320
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [May 23, 2020, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-anything-about-these-lamps/854320 "2020-05-23T00:30:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2020, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-anything-about-these-lamps/854320/1 "2020-05-23T00:30:23Z")
These lamps are in my late parents’ room: [male](http://mulderscreek.com/photos/weird_lamp01b.jpg) and [female](http://mulderscreek.com/photos/weird_lamp02b.jpg).
As you can see they’re a matched set. And hideous. The only thing I know about them is that they were originally my maternal grandparents’ and they predate me, so they’re more than 43 years old.
What style are they? I mean, is this really bad art deco? Or, perhaps more likely, really bad art deco reproductions because I doubt they’re from the 20-30s.
And…what are these people supposed to be?? Romans gods? Slaves?
I’d like to look them up to see if other people own these monstrosities, but I really don’t know what terms to even look for. Help! and thanks
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### Author:  [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2020, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-anything-about-these-lamps/854320/2 "2020-05-23T00:39:34Z")
No idea what they are but I like them very much! No markings on the bottom or anything?
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### Author:  [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2020, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-anything-about-these-lamps/854320/3 "2020-05-23T01:12:45Z")
I’d take them anytime if you don’t want them! They look very cool.
Like you say, they have an art deco/Jugendstil vibe. But I’d guess they are from a little bit later, they look like something commercialized from the late 20s, early 30s. I’d keep them.
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### Author:  [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2020, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-anything-about-these-lamps/854320/4 "2020-05-23T01:49:23Z")
Those lamps scream “garage sale”.
I’m also reminded of the Jean Shepherd story about his dad receiving [a suggestive lamp](https://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/a-christmas-story-movie-facts/the-leg-lamp/) as a contest prize. Did your parents answer 50 trivia questions correctly?
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### Author:  [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2020, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-anything-about-these-lamps/854320/5 "2020-05-23T01:50:05Z")
Been poking around a bit on google.
To my admittedly untrained eye, they look like [Chalkware](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalkware) lamps.
Specifically, the style looks to be Mid-Century Modern (MCM), which is roughly 1945 to 1965. They seem to match this wikipedia description quite well.
> [@wikipedia](#):
>
> MCM chalkware lamps were often romantic and exotic with a focus on the idealized beauty of historic, natural, and abstract designs. Common motifs were dancers (often sold as a male and female pair), innocent or sensual figures, trees, flowers, animals, zig-zags, waves and modern abstract sculpture typical of the period. One of the most popular motifs were of romanticized, stereotyped Asian, African, Native American, Hawaiian people in exotic (at times inaccurate) settings or costume.
The style looks Asian to me.
Cheaper ceramic and plastic copies of this style were popular in the 1970s, so what they are made out of could help you to date them.
Here is a similar example, made by Continental Art Co. around 1950.
> **[CONTINENTAL ART CO | Retro lamp, Funky lamps, Vintage lamps](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/186406872050743176/)**
>
> Mar 18, 2013 - Table lamp modeled after Josephine Baker; USA, ca.1940; Painted plaster, composite; Marked Continental Art Co. Patent P
If you google “Continental Art Co chalkware” you’ll find numerous examples of the same style.
Some of these appear to be worth money. I have no idea which ones are valuable and which ones aren’t.
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### Author:  [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2020, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-anything-about-these-lamps/854320/6 "2020-05-23T02:10:20Z")
Those also look like they have the original shades. That could really boost their value.
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### Author:  [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2020, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-anything-about-these-lamps/854320/7 "2020-05-23T09:52:33Z")
Here are some Ebay listings: [Vintage Chalkware Black Lamps With Lamp in Lamps for sale | eBay](https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=items&_udlo=100&_sop=1&_fspt=1&_mPrRngCbx=1&_osacat=4056&_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=Vintage+Chalkware+Black++Lamps+With+Lamp&_sacat=4056)
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### Author:  [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2020, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-anything-about-these-lamps/854320/8 "2020-05-23T22:10:27Z")
I examined them more closely and they do indeed have the words “Continental Art Co.” etched into the bases.
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### Author:  [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2020, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-anything-about-these-lamps/854320/9 "2020-05-24T04:52:47Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#):
>
> Some of these appear to be worth money. I have no idea which ones are valuable and which ones aren’t.
Well, I’m baffled by the appeal but I found several of these exact lamps on an auction site’s completed auctions and if they have the original shades, which these do, it looks like people have gotten $500-800 for the pair. Who knew these ugly things would be worth something to collectors?
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### Author:  [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2020, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-anything-about-these-lamps/854320/10 "2020-05-24T05:07:36Z")
> [@elfkin477](#):
>
> Well, I’m baffled by the appeal but I found several of these exact lamps on an auction site’s completed auctions and if they have the original shades, which these do, it looks like people have gotten $500-800 for the pair. Who knew these ugly things would be worth something to collectors?
…lava lamps in the background…
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### Author:  [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2020, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-anything-about-these-lamps/854320/11 "2020-05-24T05:19:37Z")
Some might classify them as “kitsch”.
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### Author:  [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2020, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-anything-about-these-lamps/854320/12 "2020-05-24T05:26:00Z")
> [@elfkin477](#):
>
> Well, I’m baffled by the appeal but I found several of these exact lamps on an auction site’s completed auctions and if they have the original shades, which these do, it looks like people have gotten $500-800 for the pair. Who knew these ugly things would be worth something to collectors?
You never can tell what some people will buy.
I would def. put them on eBay. Unless you have a Yankee Swap coming up.
ETA: My next-door neighbor circa 1960 had something like this. In that room, in that house, they looked perfect. I have seen other lamps like this. Things that were the perfect piece, in one place, and yet when you put them outside in the garage sale they were hilariously hideous.