Vintage Lucite Grape Lamp - What's With This Wire?

[Kris]

I bought this heifer off ebay a while back and finished cleaning it up. It's about 15" tall and about 10" wide. Weighs a ton too. The most beautiful grape swag lamp I have seen.

Anyways, I was going to replace the wire because it was crusty and crinkly. However after closer inspection, the wire appears to have had a plastic sheeting over it. I started cutting it off. The wire itself is fine and has it's insulation on it. However this is something I have never seen before. It's like it was shrink wrapped in plastic. Not sure why? I removed all of it and the wire looks new and is more flexible as well. None of it is damaged and I don't have to replace it now.

What was this plastic coating? In the second picture, you can see where the plastic is on and the wire above, it's off.

[Kris]

Yeah, they are cool. Not sure what the plastic coating was as the wire underneath it is just like any other wire. It's in pristine condition too.

They are very heavy! Love the pics

[Kris]

Yup. He seems to have a little bit of everything :)

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

Any shots of the lamp itself, Kris? I like these, too - would pick one up if I found it.

[Kris]

I will try and get some pics. Problem is I don't have anywhere to hang it so it's laying down.