This light looks alot like ones that Rejuvenation has - they classify them as neoclassical, or classical revival:

http://www.rejuvenation.com/location19/styles/Classical_Revival_Lighting.html

Hope that helps

I like yours better than Rejuvenation's!

Is that heraldry or cresting I see on the fixture? Don't know much about that, but you could try looking up that pattern for more clues.

My house has a sunflower motif in its hardware and carvings. I like the underlying meaning: turning toward the sun: optimism, warmth, and loyalty. I can definitely go with that.

Antique reproduction lightbulbs are needed to complete the picture.

I suspect they are original to the house. My parent's home was built right about 1930.....and it has a fixture very like that in several rooms, only it was a dark matte brass and hand painted overlay.

Thanks for your input everyone! Calliope- is the hand painted overlay in various colors? I'm afraid if I take off the paint, that overlay will come off too if it is there. Do you have any pictures?

Yes it is on one of the fixtures. I can't remember the one in the living room, if it is or not. Yes, I can get a picture, but it may take me a few days.

I bet that white paint would come off easily, especially if they used a paint formulated for ceilings. Anyhow, I think it you take them down and remove the sockets, a soak in hot water and dish soap would soften the white paint enough to remove it without taking off the enamel polychrome colors.

If that doesn't do it, I'd try putting them on the stove in a big pot of simmering water. That's worked for lots of my stuff.

Goodness that's awful! That's worse than painting brick!

I hope you can get those back to the original finish. Check craigslist and ebay for similar fixtures. Architectural salvage places might have them, especially the flush mounts.

Try "antique ceiling light" on eBay just to get an idea of what people call these things.