The Lily-of-the-Valley Floor Lamp: The 1950s Original and Its Copies
Curved brass stems, opaline tulips: the French lily-of-the-valley floor lamp, its attributions, its vintage value and the wave of reissues.
1 MIN · 25 September 2026Brass stems that curve like sprigs, opaline tulips bowed like little bells: the so-called lily-of-the-valley floor lamp, France, 1950s, has become one of the most sought-after vintage objects of the moment — and one of the most imitated.
Where it comes from
Period models are generally attributed to the French lighting editors of the 1950s, notably Maison Lunel or Lucien Gau — firm attributions are rare, as the lamps were almost never signed. Two, three or five lights, white or coloured opaline, solid brass.
Spotting a genuine one
Period brass has a warm patina, clean solder joints, real weight in the cast-iron base. Old opaline is thick, double-layered, with a ground-glass collar. Recent copies use gold-lacquered tubes, thin dazzling glass, cables too new to carry period sockets.
The value
A period lily-of-the-valley lamp in good condition trades between €800 and €2,500 depending on the number of arms and the state of the opaline — a broken opaline is hard to replace. Reissues and new copies sit between €150 and €500: the look from afar, without the patina or the value.
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Gallery
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