This is the base of a 1950s sputnik floor lamp. The gentleman who brought it in is an avid collector of any mid-century modern, well anything. Like most of my customers he and his wife have a special feeling for lighting and lamps. Good for us here at the Lamp Shop. As seen in the picture above, this piece is a little beat up but sill in good shape and with a little TLC we can bring it back to life and get another 60 years of service out of it. It was a bit rusty and pitted but the rust hadn't eaten through the base or any of the other metal in the lamp.
The wires and balls here at the top of the lamp is what gives it the name Sputnik, because of the balled wires coming out of the top. This was after all the beginning of the space age. there are 2 sections of pottery on the piece as well. They were in perfect shape and no chips or cracks on them any where. Just some ware on the gold gilding in a few places.
Now that it is all finished it turned out great and looks brand new. Personally I haven't been a big fan of these kind of lamps but I have to say that this one has grown on me while we have been working on it.