Sunday, July 31, 2011

15" Spider Lamp

Deep amber glass was used to create this 15" Spider Lamp for an Illinois client. The glass used was a semi-transparent golden amber/red amber mix. The rich tones give this shade the warm glow of smoldering embers from a dying fire. The Spider lamp combines geometric and representational design sensibilities, and continues to be a favorite with our clients.

This Spider shade was mated with the Mushroom Base. Tiffany Studios almost always used this shade/base combination together, even though the shade can be put onto many different lamp bases.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Plum Blossom Window

A recent addition to our showroom is this Plum Blossom window. The window pictures a flowering branch from a plum tree in a vase. Three layers of plated glass were used to create the vase, and additional plating was done on the table cloth.

The design on the vase was achieved by hand cutting a stencil on a piece of two layer flash glass, and then sand blasting the thinner layer of color to leave the design onto the surface of the glass. Bill is seen laying out the floral portions of this piece in the photo to the left.

The blue border consists of very three dimensional "iceberg" jewels. As you can see in the photo to the right, the jewels give a textural look to the window. This window is currently available in our showroom.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Wally Birds

This past week, a new flock of Wally Birds flew in from Bur Oak Pottery in Wisconsin. Wally Birds were originally created by the Martin Brothers Pottery in England in the late 19th/early 20th century. They are named after creator Wallace Martin, the eldest of this eccentric family of potters.

Taking inspiration from the originals, each one of our exceptional bird jars is sculpted by hand using stoneware clay which is baked in a wood-fired kiln. Artist/creator Ed Klein then perches each bird on a painted, hand turned wooden base just like the originals. The heads lift off so you can stash your secret trinkets inside. Each bird is a one of a kind creation.

Our current flock includes:

H.R.H. the Majestic Bird - Standing a full 26" from tabletop to the crown of his feathered dome, this is by far the largest Wally Bird every created by Bur Oak Pottery.







Double Trouble - wooden base 6.5" x 12", 13" tall - This devilish duo is plotting their next raid on the bird feeder. Double birds are very uncommon and difficult to create. The head of each bird is removable and swivels to reflect the change in the conversation.


Shrewd Bird - 17.5" tall - This crafty fellow is larger than most of the other birds around him (see the group photo above) and is definitely considering something shady.







Shy Bird - 12" tall - This little fellow has reluctantly left the nest and is looking for a quiet, retiring perch to call his own.








Opera & Laughing Birds - each is 13" tall - The Opera Bird is in full song, content to let its aria wake the neighbors. The Laughing Bird is enjoying life to the fullest, finding amusement everywhere he goes. With his mop of unruly blue feathers atop his head, this is artist Ed Klein's favorite bird from this grouping.

Worried Bird - 13" tall - Unsure where his next worm or crust of bread is coming from, this dyspeptic fellow has an intense expression with dark rimmed pop eyes.







Frowning Bird - 13" tall - Surly, with an attitude that says, "Don't even try it", this little fellow means business.








Fat Friar (or Fryer) - 13" tall - This jovial, well fed monk has a double chin and a traditional tonsure haircut with a bald spot on the back of his head. Invite this bird for dinner, or to be the main course!







Wiley Bird - 13" tall - An evil grin, a sharp pointed beak, and crafty look says this bird has more than birdseed on his mind.








The Twins, Quincy & Martin - 10.5" tall - Named after our 4th and 6th presidents (whom they resemble strongly), this pair of baby birds are the early birds. Quincy, on the left, was earlier and got the worm...which explains why he is grinning. Martin wasn't early enough, missed breakfast, and is frowning.

Contact us at 651-699-4838 or centurystudios@visi.com for pricing and availability.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

18" Oak Leaf

New to our showroom is this 18" Oak Leaf shade. The pattern is one of the many "banded" shade designs created by Tiffany Studios. The decorative band consist of oak leaves and acorns swirling across the shade, while the geometric upper and lower borders provide a calming influence.
We created this example with a light green mottled glass. The acorns use a heavily mottled glass to cleverly create the caps and nuts within each piece of glass. The shade is shown on the Decorated Library base, and could be mated with many different table bases. This shade would also make an attractive chandelier fixture. This lamp is currently in our showroom and is available for purchase.

Monday, July 4, 2011

20" Daffodil Turban Shade

This week we are very excited to add another new shade design to our lamp offerings - the 20" Daffodil Turban. This Tiffany Studios' design has a stylized naturalism which represents the best of the Tiffany floral shades. The flowers, while "growing" on the shade as if in a garden, are placed mirror image in such a way as to create an arching pattern around the shade.

The example pictured was created for an out of state client in tones of pale blues, purples and greens with vivid golden daffodil flowers. The many borders in the shade change color subtly from top to bottom.

With the addition of the 20" Daffodil Turban shade, we have increased our 20" daffodil shade offerings to include four designs! The ever popular 20" Daffodil remains one of our favorite Tiffany lamp designs and makes a fantastic table lamp or chandelier fixture.
The 20" Windswept Daffodil is a variation on the standard daffodil, but with more movement in the flowers.
The 20" Jonquil Daffodil is a generous dome that has features two different varieties of flower on the same shade.