What is a glass bell jar?

A bell glass jar is a jar shaped like a bell. It opens from the bottom and the bell jar that is the top and the sides are made of a single piece of glass. On 1stDibs, find a variety of antique and vintage glass bell jars.

Bell Jar Lanterns

Etched Glass Brass Lantern

Etched Bell Glass Pendant

Bell Light Fixture

Category

Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Glass

Large 19th Century Frosted Glass Bell Jar Lantern with Star Motif

$2,475

19th Century Large English Bell Jar Lantern with Grape Leaf Etching

Located in Heath, MA

A substantial English handblown glass bell jar lantern with lovely form and an attractive grape

Category

Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Lanterns

Materials

Brass

19th Century Large English Bell Jar Lantern with Grape Leaf Etching

$3,350

Late 20th Century Lattice Cut Glass Bell Jar with Darkened Brass Finish

Located in Canton, MA

Clear lattice cut glass bell jar with darkened brass finish. Bell jar lanterns first reached

Category

Late 20th Century Indian Anglo-Indian Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Brass

Late 20th Century Lattice Cut Glass Bell Jar with Darkened Brass Finish

$1,395

Pair of Antique Globe Bell Jar Lanterns with Vine Etching

Located in Heath, MA

A rare, well-matched pair of antique English hand blown glass globe bell jar lanterns with an

Category

Early 20th Century English Victorian Lanterns

Materials

Brass

Pair of Antique Globe Bell Jar Lanterns with Vine Etching

$1,950

Pair of Petite 19th Century Bell Jar Lanterns with Diamond Etching

Located in Heath, MA

Charming pair of English handblown glass bell jar lanterns with an etched diamond pattern, circa

Category

Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Lanterns

Materials

Brass

Pair of Petite 19th Century Bell Jar Lanterns with Diamond Etching

$2,825

Globe Bell Jar Lantern

Located in Heath, MA

This circa 1890 globe pendant features excellent quality hand blown glass and a lovely silhouette. In addition, the fancy brass finial and replaced band, with an embossed vine motif,...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Unknown Victorian Lanterns

Materials

Brass

Globe Bell Jar Lantern

$1,230

Pair of 19th Century English Bell Jar Lanterns with Diamond Etching

Located in Heath, MA

It is rare to find a pair of authentic bell jar lanterns with such great quality handblown glass

Category

Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Lanterns

Materials

Brass

Pair of 19th Century English Bell Jar Lanterns with Diamond Etching

$3,450

Pair of Large 19th Century Bell Jar Lanterns with Wheat Etching

Located in Heath, MA

A very beautiful pair of handblown glass bell jar lanterns with an etched wheat motif. These circa

Category

Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Lanterns

Materials

Brass

Pair of Large 19th Century Bell Jar Lanterns with Wheat Etching

$5,850

19th Century Aqua Blue Bell Jar Melon or Pumpkin Lantern

Located in Heath, MA

Belgian glass. This rare, authentic circa 1890 bell jar lantern features all-original fittings, including

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Belgian Dutch Colonial Lanterns

Materials

Brass

19th Century Aqua Blue Bell Jar Melon or Pumpkin Lantern

$1,950

Pair of 19th Century Bell Jar Lanterns with Grape and Vine Etching

Located in Heath, MA

A lovely, well-matched pair of antique bell jar lanterns from England. These circa 1870 pendants

Category

Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Lanterns

Materials

Brass

Pair of 19th Century Bell Jar Lanterns with Grape and Vine Etching

$2,750

Pair of 19th Century English Bell Jar Lanterns with Grape and Vine Etching

Located in Heath, MA

Petite, charming pair of authentic hand blown English bell jar lanterns, circa 1840, with a finely

Category

Antique Mid-19th Century English Lanterns

Materials

Brass

Pair of 19th Century English Bell Jar Lanterns with Grape and Vine Etching

$3,250

19th Century Etched Globe Bell Jar Lantern

Located in Heath, MA

A charming circa 1870 hand blown glass globe lantern from England with lovely contours and a finely etched meandering vine motif. The lantern has its authentic adorned brass band joi...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Lanterns

Materials

Brass

19th Century Etched Globe Bell Jar Lantern

$1,250

Set of Antique Globe Bell Jar Lanterns with Vine Etching

Located in Heath, MA

bells/lids, strands of chain and brass finials are original to the globes. The embossed brass bands were

Category

Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Lanterns

Materials

Brass

Set of Antique Globe Bell Jar Lanterns with Vine Etching

$4,400

19th Century Emerald Green Pumpkin or Melon Bell Jar Lantern

Located in Heath, MA

A rare 19th century Belgian green glass ribbed melon or pumpkin lantern hand blown in Belgium. This circa 1890 heirloom is in very good condition and has its original press glass smo...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Belgian Victorian Lanterns

Materials

Brass

19th Century Emerald Green Pumpkin or Melon Bell Jar Lantern

$1,950

19th Century Anglo-Indian Regency Style Hall Lantern (Hundi)

Located in Southampton, NY

This hindi lantern (bell jar lantern) features a traditional Bristol color, teal glass bell with

Category

Antique Early 19th Century Indian Anglo Raj Lanterns

Materials

Brass

19th Century Anglo-Indian Regency Style Hall Lantern (Hundi)

$2,500

19th Century Belgian Melon Hall Lantern

Located in Heath, MA

Shapely, handblown clear glass melon bell jar lantern from Belgium, circa 1890, with original

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Belgian Lanterns

Materials

Brass

19th Century Belgian Melon Hall Lantern

$1,950

19th Century French Bell Jar Lantern

Located in Charleston, SC

Sophisticated French bronze mounted bell Jar is circa 1840. The crystal bell jar is hanging from a

Category

Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Lanterns

Materials

Crystal, Bronze

19th Century French Bell Jar Lantern

$6,800

Large Early 19th Century English Regency Glass Bell Jar Lantern with Smoke Bell

Located in Charleston, SC

A substantial period early 19th century English Regency handblown glass and brass bell jar lantern

Category

Antique Early 19th Century English Regency Lanterns

Materials

Brass

Large Early 19th Century English Regency Glass Bell Jar Lantern with Smoke Bell

$18,500

Mid-19th Century English Regency Bronze Bell Jar Lantern

Located in Charleston, SC

A timeless 19th century English Regency bell jar lantern, circa 1840, with new wiring and three

Category

Antique Mid-19th Century English Regency Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Bronze

Mid-19th Century English Regency Bronze Bell Jar Lantern

$2,800

Hollywood Regency Mid 20th Century Bell Jar Lantern

Located in Charleston, SC

Hollywood Regency mid 20th century bell jar lantern. This high style Bell Lantern has a brass smoke

Category

Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Brass

Hollywood Regency Mid 20th Century Bell Jar Lantern

$4,000

Lighting Under $1,000

Antique and Vintage Lighting

19th Century Lighting

Glass Lighting

European Lighting

Lighting on Sale

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Bell Jar Lanterns For Sale on 1stDibs

At 1stDibs, there are several options of bell jar lanterns available for sale. Frequently made of glass, metal and brass, all bell jar lanterns available were constructed with great care. We have 331 antique and vintage bell jar lanterns in-stock, while there are 6 modern editions to choose from as well. There are all kinds of bell jar lanterns available, from those produced as long ago as the 19th Century to those made as recently as the 21st Century. Bell jar lanterns made by Victorian designers — as well as those associated with Regency — are very popular at 1stDibs. If space is limited, there are small bell jar lanterns measuring 7.5 inches across. There have been many well-made bell jar lanterns over the years, but those made by Niche, Barovier&Toso and Edward F. Caldwell Co. are often thought to be among the most beautiful.

How Much are Bell Jar Lanterns?

Prices for bell jar lanterns can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, bell jar lanterns begin at $350 and can go as high as $18,500, while the average can fetch as much as $1,955.

Finding the Right Chandeliers And Pendants for You

Chandeliers — simple in form, inspired by candelabras and originally made of wood or iron — first made an appearance in early churches. For those wealthy enough to afford them for their homes in the medieval period, a chandelier's suspended lights likely exuded imminent danger, as lit candles served as the light source for fixtures of the era. Things have thankfully changed since then, and antique chandeliers and pendant lights are popular in many interiors today.

While gas lighting during the late 18th century represented an upgrade for chandeliers — and gas lamps would long inspire Danish architect and pioneering modernist lighting designer Poul Henningsen — it would eventually be replaced with the familiar electric lighting of today.

The key difference between a pendant light and a chandelier is that a pendant incorporates only a single bulb into its design. Don’t mistake this for simplicity, however. An Art Deco–styled homage to Sputnik from Murano glass artisans Giovanni Dalla Fina, with handcrafted decorative elements supported by a chrome frame, is just one stunning example of the elaborate engineering that can be incorporated into every component of a chandelier. (Note: there is more than one lighting fixture that shares its name with the iconic mid-century-era satellite — see Gino Sarfatti’s design too.)

Chandeliers have evolved over time, but their classic elegance has remained unchanged.

Not only will the right chandelier prove impressive in a given room, but it can also offer a certain sense of practicality. These fixtures can easily illuminate an entire space, while their elevated position prevents them from creating glare or straining one’s eyes.

Certain materials, like glass, can complement naturally lit settings without stealing the show. Brass, on the other hand, can introduce an alluring, warm glow. While LEDs have earned a bad reputation for their perceived harsh bluish lights and a loss of brightness over their life span, the right design choices can help harness their lighting potential and create the perfect mood. A careful approach to lighting can transform your room into a peaceful and cozy nook, ideal for napping, reading or working.

For midsize spaces, a wall light or sconce can pull the room together and get the lighting job done. Perforated steel rings underneath five bands of handspun aluminum support a rich diffusion of light within Alvar Aalto's Beehive pendant light, but if you’re looking to brighten a more modest room, perhaps a minimalist solution is what you’re after. The mid-century modern furniture designer Charlotte Perriand devised her CP-1 wall lamps in the 1960s, in which a repositioning of sheet-metal plates can redirect light as needed.

The versatility and variability of these lighting staples mean that, when it comes to finding something like the perfect chandelier, you’ll never be left hanging. From the natural world-inspired designs of the Art Nouveau era to the classic beauty of Paul Ferrante's fixtures, there is a style for every room.

With designs for pendant lights and chandeliers across eras, colors and materials, you’ll never run out of options to explore on 1stDibs — shop a collection today that includes antique Art Deco chandeliers, Stilnovo chandeliers, Baccarat chandeliers and more.

Questions About Bell Jar Lanterns

What is a glass bell jar?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertOctober 12, 2021
A bell glass jar is a jar shaped like a bell. It opens from the bottom and the bell jar that is the top and the sides are made of a single piece of glass. On 1stDibs, find a variety of antique and vintage glass bell jars.