Whether they're stately or crazy-looking, sputnik chandeliers make a bold statement in any room you put them in. There are a lot of variations on the basic design, and we're going to show you some examples from our current showroom to demonstrate. 

Sputnik chandeliers became popular in the Mid-century modern period, which stretched roughly from 1950 to 1980. Here is an example of one that was designed by Bahaus in the 1960s. It features thirty hand-blown alabaster glass globes in three rings around a brass fixture. The piece is very large. It is 50” in diameter and 63” tall, so you need a very large space for it. 

You can identify a sputnik chandelier by its general shape, a central fixture with lights spreading in all directions. They were inspired by the design of the Sputnik satellite with its central sphere and long antenna. Designs based on that were tightly linked with the era of the Space Race and all that it entails. The next picture shows an example from the 1950s.

This one is a combination between a sputnikchandelier and a spider chandelier. It features 36 lights with salmon, pearl, and mint accents on a brass frame. This is a very large piece that is 72” in diameter and 66” tall, perfect for a large space that needs a lot of light.

This is another 1960s sputnik chandelier that was designed in Germany. This one clearly shows the ball and spokes configuration inherent in sputnik design. Unlike the earlier examples, not every spoke has a light on the end. This atom-design has lights encased in the opaque glass globes while the smaller crystal spheres reflect the light around the room. This is a much smaller piece that's only 30.5” in both diameter and height, which would make it perfect for a dining room setting.

This last example is probably the simplest form you can make using the sputnik design. This is a pendant chandelier that uses the sputnik concept by using six glass globes in a circle around an aluminum holder. The fabric-coated cables hanging from the ceiling are an unusual touch for this design. By adjusting the lengths of the wires this piece could fit in several different locations in the home, even a bedroom.

These aren't the only sputnik chandeliers that we have in stock at Art Deco Antiques. We invite you to look through the rest of our lighting catalog for your next antique lighting accessory for your home. If you have any questions about the pieces, feel free to contact us before purchase.