Where else but DECORUM can you choose from a truly fantastic group of lighting bowls, and match them with the canopy of your choice? These French "pressed glass" bowls, most of which were made in the 1920's, are excellent lighting choices for situations where substantial light is needed and ceiling height is limited. I usually position just one standard-base socket right in the center of the bowl to light it evenly (three sockets can also be used if necessary). You can use a 250-watt bulb in it if you like! Put the fixture on a wall dimmer and get mood when you want -- the incandescent bulb at a lower wattage will deliver a warmer light, often giving a gold glow to the bowl. Crank it all the way up and bring out the Scrabble board! Generally these bowls measure about 14 inches in diameter. The depth of the bowl varies between three and eight inches. In these photos I've rigged the bowls with pretty short hardware, so most hang between 13 and 16 inches from the ceiling. That means they qualify for your short, eight-foot ceiling, leaving you with only slightly less than seven feet of head room. Choose your metal finish! Like brushed nickel best? Chrome suits you? Polished (bright) nickel? No problem (just time and money). The components are all solid brass or bronze to begin with so you'll be getting a top-quality plating job, and there will never be any deterioration due to rusting or corrosion of the metal. I use brass tubing which is 5/16" square, and it can be cut to whatever length suits your purposes. I've reproduced the impossible-to-get vintage canopies in solid bronze -- they're all compelling, original French Art Deco designs. Here they are (the first example is shown in brushed nickel, the second in polished nickel, the last one in bronze, plating and patina yet to be accomplished): The hardware in the pictures below has been finished in polished nickel, then patinated so it doesn't have that "born yesterday" look (that means it has black in the crevasses, giving it an antique quality). The incandescent bulb gives a yellow cast to the nickel, something which doesn't appear to your eye under normal circumstances.   (A) Let's start with a handsome geometric bowl by Degue. It's 13 3/4 inches across and about 5 inches deep. As shown, it hangs about 14 inches from the ceiling. Nicely signed Degue in the mold. $1700. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

(B) This one's a Schneider, likewise signed. This pattern is probably the most sought after, design-wise, of what the French call "pressed glass." It's about 14 inches wide and hangs about that distance as shown. You can't have it hanging any closer to the ceiling, but I can make it any length longer you like. $1650. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

(C) An unsigned "generic" design, but just tops in my book. This three-sided geometric beauty has the sophistocation of a design by Degue. It's deeper than many bowls, and as shown with this appartus, it hangs about 15 1/2 inches long. This bowl has a very faintly yellow cast to it. $1200. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

(D) This bowl has the vivid, geometric designs one might associate with Muller glass. $1100. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

(E) The scallopped edge and the unusual depth of this bowl separate it from the ordinary. It hangs about 16 inches as shown. $1100. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

(F) Signed "Verrerie de Vosges," this beauty has an organic quality to it, and ample depth. $1100. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

(G) Another example of French Art Deco styling at its finest, also unsigned. $1400. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

(H) This pleasing bowl has that "cornucopia of nature" look so popular with the French. $950. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

(I) Opalescent bowls in the style of Sabino, Verlys, Ranc and others are extremely rare. This one has geese pursuing fish, and it's very shallow. This bowl hanging slightly lower than the ones above, at about 16 inches, with my reproduction canopy in place and longer tubing. This bowl is sold, but don't dispair, I have another, quite identical, signed Verlys. $2200. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

(J) A "killer" piece, one of Degue's most imposing, impressive, and of course rare -- a three-pointed, massive bowl with geometrical motifs from another planet. It's about 17 inches across, and with this apparatus (which can be lengthened or shortened, it measures 15 inches from the top of the canopy to the bottom of the bowl. Signed Degue, of course! $2800. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

(K) I have a few colored, hand-blown art glass bowls from the era, as well. This one is signed Muller Fres, Luneville, and its purple and blue colors are extremely rare. The glass has a faintly opalescent quality to it, giving it great depth and a bit of a warm glow when lit. It's the same size as the pressed glass bowls, about 14 inches across and five deep. $2300. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

(L) Another hanging option for these bowls is the "cordelier," a (silk?) woven cord which holds the bowl in place; the electrical wires run through one cord and have the same fabric cleverly woven around them. This bowl hangs at about two feet, but I can reduce that to about 18 inches in a pinch. This bowl, with its unusual configuration and rare coloration, also has an ancient quality about the texture of the glass. $1900. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

(M) This extraordinary bowl has the esteemed D'AVESN signature boldly emblazoned on it. Wouldn't you just know it? D'Avesn, who worked for both Lalique and Daum (but, more significantly for himself), emerges as one of the true design lions of the era. This bowl must have been moved during the annealing process, as it's slightly out of round -- you can see the evidence of a slight "bulge" in the front, just right of center. Well, is the air postal stamp with the upside-town airplane worth more, or less, than the "perfect" stamps? This was probably so much work and expense to create that they just let it out anyway... unless it was smuggled out the back door. In any case it makes a good story, and frankly, when it's up and lit (which it isn't in this photo), the sheer beauty of it is so overpowering that there's not much of a chance that you or anyone else would notice the "imperfection." As shown, it's about 17 inches long. I can lengthen it but not shorten it. It's about 15 inches across. $2500. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

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