A lampstand is a piece of furniture designed to hold a lamp at a useful height for reading, working, or lighting a room. Before electricity, people placed oil lamps or candles on lampstands so the light would reach farther and be less likely to start a fire than if the lamp sat directly on a wooden table or floor.

Today's lampstands, which we usually call lamp tables or end tables, still serve the same basic purpose: they give table lamps and reading lamps a stable, elevated place to sit. You'll find them next to sofas and beds, positioned so the light falls right where someone needs it for reading or homework.

In ancient times, lampstands were important household items. The most famous historical lampstand is probably the golden menorah from the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, a ceremonial lampstand with seven branches that held seven oil lamps. This particular lampstand appears in ancient texts and artwork and remains a powerful symbol in Jewish tradition today.