Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Window of the Week: Red Angel


We made this Angel window as a studio piece in the early 1990's using a box of red drapery glass pieces that we acquired from a local stained glass studio.

Century Studios will be open regular business hours
now through Saturday December 21

We will be closed
December 22 through January 1

Happy Holidays from Century Studios!


Sunday, December 15, 2013

16" Poppy Shade


One of our more popular shade styles, the 16" Poppy is a classic Tiffany Studios design. This recently completed example is a lively lamp, with brightly colored flowers and fresh green background. The background glass is a Schlitz fracture that was made in the 1990's.

The Pond Lily - Blown Glass & Bronze base was created at our studio. We had the glass blown to our specifications by Lundberg Studios. Since each base insert is blown individually, no two are ever exactly the same. This lamp is in a local private collection.

Friday, December 13, 2013

Window of the Week: Winter




The Winter window was created as a studio piece in the mid-1990's. The window has three plated layers and uses drapery glass in the costume of the figure. This window is in the collection of a South Dakota client.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

12" Geometric Turban

This 12" Geometric Turban shade was commissioned by a local client for their Handel Floor Base. The client requested the green/orange/red glass to have an allover color mix with no discernible pattern to the colors.

Antique harp style bases like this one often had blown glass shades which have been broken over the years, and a stained glass shade makes a nice replacement.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

10" Pansy


We are pleased to introduce the 10" Pansy shade to our list of offerings. This new pattern is a Century Studios original adaptation of the larger 16" Pansy shade. The shade can be made in a multitude of colors, and is the perfect size for an accent lamp. This colorful shade was commissioned by a local client to use on their original Tiffany Studios lamp base.

Monday, November 25, 2013

Lamp of the Week: 16" Poppy on Flower Petal Base


The 16" Poppy is one or Tiffany Studios more popular shade designs. This compact floral can be created in a variety of colors and features delicate filigree overlays on the leaves and flower centers. The shade pictured was made in 1993 and is shown on the Flower Petal base.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

18" Geometric Turban


Commissioned by a California client, this 18" Geometric Turban shade was created using a warm honey/amber colored glass. The shade is perfectly matched with our Artichoke Pottery base.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Lamp of the Week: 25" Rose Bush


This 25" Rose Bush shade was created as a showroom piece in 2005 and is now in a local collection. The background glass in the lamp was created at Century Studios. The shade is shown on the Eiffel Tower base.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Lamp of the Week: 20" Daffodil Turban Shade on Twisted Vine Base


Daffodils were Louis C. Tiffany's favorite flower, and they appear on shades of all shapes and sizes. Multiple border rows contain the exuberant blooms as they play across the surface of this 20" Daffodil Turban shade. The shade is shown on the popular Twisted Vine base and the lamp is topped with a whimsical Pigtail Cap. This shade was commissioned in 2011 by a Chicago area client.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

28" Dragonfly on Bamboo Sr. Floor Base


The 28" Dragonfly is usually found hanging over a table as a large chandelier fixture, but the shade also makes an impressive floor lamp. This lamp was commissioned by a local client.

The rich tones of the shade were achieved by using Lins glass, a glass that is no longer being produced. Intense blues, purples, ambers, and greens are mixed together to accentuate the movement of the dragonflies swirling across the surface of the shade. The multicolored glass jewels which dot the surface of the shade were pressed at our studio.

The shade is shown on the Bamboo Senior Floor Base. The bamboo motif of the floor base is a perfect compliment to this shade design. The lamp is topped by the highly decorative Bamboo Cap.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Window of the Week: Demon and Serpent


This Demon & Serpent window was commissioned by a local client in 2004. Full of fire and brimstone, the richly colored window is a reminder to do good deeds! Happy Halloween!

Monday, October 28, 2013

16" Dragonfly on Cereus Base


Commissioned by a client in North Carolina, this 16" Dragonfly is a boldly colored shade with multiple textures and types of glass. The background glass is a green and blue mix with fracture and streamers, giving the shade a unique "pond" look. The green ripple borders add texture to the shade. The shade is shown on the highly detailed Cereus base.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Lamp of the Week: 12" Apple Blossom on Torpedo Base

We created this 12" Apple Blossom shade in the mid-1990's as a showroom piece. It features a fracture/streamer background glass and is shown on the delicate Torpedo base. This lamp is in a private collection.

Monday, October 21, 2013

28" Magnolia on Sr. Floor Base

One of Tiffany Studios' most celebrated lamps is the 28" Magnolia shade on the Senior Floor base. Unlike most Tiffany shade motifs which were available in multiple sizes, the Magnolia was only offered as a 28" shade. We recently completed one of these spectacular lamps for a client in Los Angeles.



Creating a large floral shade takes quite a bit of time and patience. For this shade we selected a color scheme that is lighter at the top and becomes richer towards the lower half. Many of the large flowers in the shade were cut from Drapery Glass.

Magnolia shades have become synonymous with Drapery Glass - the thee dimensional hand-folded sheet glass invented by Tiffany Studios. While not all original Tiffany Magnolia shades employ Drapery Glass, its use in this shade elevates this pattern to a higher level.

For our shade, we culled one of a kind pieces of Drapery from our glass library that we have been saving for just the right project. Much of the Drapery Glass used in this shade was created by the celebrated Schlitz Studios in the 1990's. In the two photos above, Irwin is completing a final check of one section of the lamp and picking a border glass.

Once the glass has been selected and all the pieces are cut and fit to the pattern, each piece is individually wrapped in copper foil and transferred onto the form. The shade form has been coated with a beeswax mixture which will allow the glass to adhere before soldering.

Soldering a shade of this size will take several days. In the photo below, Irwin is seen soldering the outside of the Magnolia shade. We use a special shade holder which was made to our specifications to be able to support the weight of these large shades and still allow us to tilt the shade to any angle while soldering.


Once the outside of the shade is completely soldered, the form is heated so the wax will melt and release the shade. Leftover wax is melted away on the interior of the shade before reinforcing wires are added and the interior is soldered.

The shade is finished with a solid brass lower rim and is then ready for cleaning. The cleaned shade is copper plated so the lead lines can be given a verdigris patina. Once completed, the shade is signed and numbered and ready to be displayed on the Senior Floor base.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Lamp of the Week: 16" Geometric with Lustre Balls


Tiffany Studios created many unusual shade designs, including this 16" Geometric with Lustre Balls. The simple shade is bisected by a row of iridescent glass balls, giving the shade a unique three dimensional look. Each hand made ball is held in place individually in an over sized jeweler's - style setting which allows the translucent ball to pick up light from inside the shade. The shade is shown on the Vial base which features glass blown into the open metalwork at the bottom.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Studio Hours



Century Studios
will be closed
Saturday October 12 through Wednesday October 16. 


Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Lamp of the Week: 14" Crocus



The 14" Crocus shade is an unusual stylized floral design. The light purples and greens give the shade a airy feel. Created in 2005 as a showroom piece, this lamp is in a private collection. The Pigeon Foot base is raised on three long legs, giving the base an unusual visual profile.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Landscape Windows


We have been very busy with a number of commission projects, including this lush pair of Landscape Windows for a West Coast client.

Every window project we undertake begins with Bill working up a full sized drawing/cartoon. Our cartoons are given a simple coloring with colored pencils, to indicate details and basic colors. Once approved by our client, the cartoon is numbered for production.

Here you see one of the windows after the process of layout and cutting, ready to be wrapped with copper foil and soldered together. At the top of the page are the finished pair!


Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Lamp of the Week: 22" Maple Leaf


Created in 2012, the Maple Leaf lamp is a Century Studios' original design. The shade showcases the glories of fall in the Upper Midwest when the leaves brilliantly change colors. Pictured on the Twisted Vine base, this shade is now in a private collection.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Come Visit Us At The Fairgrounds!


The lamps are placed, the booth is set, and we are ready to roll! Visit our booth Saturday from 9 - 5 and Sunday from 11 - 4.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Arts & Crafts Show

Century Studios will be closed this week Friday & Saturday. You can visit our booth this weekend at  the Progress Center on the grounds of the Minnesota State Fair ~

The 14th Annual Arts & Crafts Show and Sale

Saturday Sept 21 
9:00 - 5:00

Sunday Sept 22
11:00 - 4:00 

For more information on the show click here.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

16" Snowball


This 16" Snowball shade was recently commissioned by an East Coast client who has an antique lamp base which was in need of a shade. The glass in this shade was chosen for its variety and depth of color. The rich blue sky at the top gives way to a variety of lush greens and deeply colored flowers. Ring mottles, textures, and fracture glass are used to give the flowers added dimension and interest. The irregular lower edge of the shade provides a perfect finish to this design. The shade is shown on the Small Stick base.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Lamp of the Week: 22" Tulip


The 22" Tulip shade is a visually complex pattern featuring masses of tulips in full bloom. The generously proportioned shade, shown here on the large Turtleback base, can be used as a table lamp, floor lamp or chandelier. This shade was commissioned by a local client in 2010.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Arts & Crafts Show


The 14th Annual Arts & Crafts Show and Sale is just around the corner. Century Studios will be exhibiting at the show which runs September 21 & 22 in the Progress Center on the grounds of the Minnesota State Fair.

For more information on the show and a list of exhibitors, go to this link.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Lamp of the Week - 20" Nasturtium on Decoarted Library Base




The unusual mushroom cap shape of this shade is a perfect canvas to show the saucer shaped leaves and multitude of brilliant flowers on this 20" Nasturtium shade. The shade is shown on the Decorated Library Base. This piece was created in 2001.

Monday, September 2, 2013

14" Dragonfly & 14" Acorn


We recently completed two shades which were commissioned by out of state clients. The 14" Dragonfly is a richly colored shade with vibrant purples, greens, blues and pinks. To complete the lamp, our client chose a different base than the one that is shown. This lamp now happily resides in Washington state.

The glass for this 14" Acorn shade was selected to compliment the glaze colors of an antique pottery lamp base.

We photographed both shades on the Pony Tree Trunk base.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Lamp of the Week - 31 Light Lily Ceiling Fixture


The 31 Light Lily Ceiling Fixture is an impressive piece in any setting. Clients have installed these fixtures in living rooms, over conference tables, and even in a large powder room! We also make a 49 Light version of this fixture.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

16" Turtleback & Hours This Week


This 16" Turtleback shade is now available in our showroom. The deep emerald green turtleback border is set into a smokey blue/green background. The shade is shown on the Small Stick base.

Century Studios

will be closing at 2pm
Friday August 23

we will be closed
Saturday August 24

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Window of the Week - Winged Moon


When we moved into our new studio space five years ago, we needed a window for the large transom above our door. After discussing several design possibilities for the 36" square space, we decided upon The Winged Moon.

Inspired by an 1883 needle woven tapestry by Dora Wheeler, The Winged Moon shows a sleeping angel floating peacefully in the sky. The window's border includes stars and pressed glass "moon face" jewels. The beautiful purples are the result of mixing gold into the batch glass and the design takes full advantage of the large swirls of color in the glass. This window can be viewed in our studio.


Thursday, August 8, 2013

Lamp of the Week: 14" Arrowhead


At first glance, the 14" Arrowhead shade looks like a stylized floral design when in fact it is botanically correct. The distinctive leaves of the Arrowhead plant intermingle with the small white blossoms of this water plant. The shade is shown on the Shell Urn base. This shade was created in 2007 as a showroom piece and is in a private collection.

Monday, August 5, 2013

Windows Windows Windows


This summer has been chock full of window projects large and small. A local client commissioned a set of three piano windows featuring a water/pond theme. The windows depict blooming iris on the bank, lotus in full flower floating on the surface of the pond, and fish swimming merrily under the surface of the water. The windows can be installed in any order from left to right.


Bill has spent a much time during the last few weeks getting drawings ready for upcoming window projects. Bill always draws our designs by hand full size. The drawings are colored in to give a general impression of the types of colors we can use in the pieces. Some of the window drawings (cartoons) for upcoming projects are shown above.

Once the cartoons are approved, we begin production by numbering each piece within a pattern. This provides us with a quick reminder that helps us remember where each individual piece fits into the design throughout the process of making the window. After numbering the cartoon, a production copy of the cartoon is created which will be cut up to use for glass selection. The original hand colored cartoon remains intact as the master plan for the piece.


Sunday, July 28, 2013

16" Geometric on Small Stick Base


This boldly colored 16" Geometric shade was commissioned by a client in Massachusetts. Geometric shades are usually made in subtle tones, but the saturated color palette works extremely well on this shade. The shade is shown on the versatile Small Stick base.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Century Studios Closed

Century Studios
will be closed

Thursday July 25
through
Monday July 29

We will resume regular
business hours on
Tuesday July 30

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Lamp of the Week: 28" Grape Cone


Grapes were a popular motif in Tiffany windows and lamps. This shade is an variation on the large 28" Grape chandelier cones which usually feature a trellis in the design. The non-repeating pattern and bold coloration give the shade interest from every side. Created in 2002 as a showroom piece, this shade was purchased by a client in Iowa.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

22" Geometric Turban with Chain Mail

The 22" Geometric shade can be used as a chandelier, floor, or table lamp. The simple geometry of the lead lines provides a symmetrical framework which is calming and shows the glass to great advantage. The deep honey amber/orange glass is a perfect fit for a large geometric shade. The warm color is inviting and comfortable.

Commissioned by an Illinois client, this large shade was created to be used on an antique lamp base from their collection. The exotic pierced base gives the lamp a feeling of East Indian or Moorish origins. If the shade were put onto the simple Large Stick base, this lamp would be equally at home in a contemporary or bungalow style interior.


The addition of three rows of Chain Mail accentuates the Far East appearance of this lamp. Our reproduction Tiffany Studios Chain Mail is hand made in our studio. The labor intensive process takes time and patience- on the right, Irwin is seen completing the final attachment of the Chain Mail to the shade. Chain Mail was often used by Tiffany Studios on chandelier fixtures to extend the depth of the shade and help disguise the light cluster. It is a unique Tiffany look that we are pleased to make available.