Recent Projects

Here are a couple of recent projects we have completed at Century Studios.

The Mosaic Turtleback base is one of Tiffany Studios most elaborate lamp bases.  We were recently commissioned to create one of these large bases by a client in California. The generously proportioned base holds a 22" shade.

Using the lost wax casting method, we cast this base in bronze using molds taken directly from an original Tiffany example. Once the raw castings are completed, Bill created the glass mosaic around the bottom of the base. The glass mosaic can be done in any color combination. For this base, our client requested a color transition from red to green.

Once the highly detailed mosaic work is finished, the turtleback tiles are set into the upper portion of the base. Each turtleback tile is cut to size and mounted into the base. The tiles are backlit when the base is complete. The red turtleback tiles were custom made for our studio.

We have a client in North Carolina who has recently commissioned two reproduction Tiffany Table Screens. Table Screens, often called Tea Screens, are three panel, miniature stained glass windows which are hinged to stand in several configurations. The first screen features blooming Iris. The lively floral panel design is repeated three times.

The second screen ordered by our client showcases multiple cobwebs entwined in the branches of a blooming apple blossom tree. This screen has a single image spread across the three panels and was created from transparent, textured glass. Each web is home to a spider, who is busily tending its web.

Lamp of the Week: 28" Laburnum

The 28" Laburnum is one of the largest Tiffany shades we create. With over 2000 individual pieces of glass, it is also one of the most time consuming shades to produce. The Laburnum has an irregular lower edge, lending an air of naturalism to the piece. This shade was commissioned in 2003 by a Midwest client for use as a floor lamp. The shade also makes a stunning chandelier fixture.

18" Turtleback

Turtleback lamps can be created in many colors, shapes, and sizes. This 18" Turtleback shade features lively green/blue/white background of ripple glass. The texture of the glass faces the inside of the shade, giving the outside an even, smooth surface. When illuminated, shade undergoes a visual transformation, becoming a highly textured lamp. The shade is shown on the Twisted Vine base. This lamp was commissioned by a Midwest client.

Lamp of the Week: 16" Tulip Field

During the course of their production, Tiffany Studios occasionally made adjustments to their lamp patterns. A good example of this is the 16" Tulip and 16" Tulip Field shades. At a glance, the two shades appear to have the same design, but the Tulip Field has a denser cluster of flowers at the top of the shade. It can be assumed that the pattern was simplified after its initial design to ease production. At Century Studios, we offer both versions. The Tulip Field shade, shown on the Library base, was created as a showroom piece in 2010 and is now in a private collection.

Century Studios 900th Lamp

This past week, Century Studios reached a milestone in completing our 900th stained glass lamp since we opened back in June 1986. The lamp is an 18" Peony which was commissioned by an overseas client. The completed shade is pictured on the elegant Library base.

Peony shades, with their large, exuberant flowers have always been a favorite lamp style. To create the dramatic color transition on this shade from white at the top to deep green at the bottom, the background glass makes three distinct color shifts. The flowers also move from light pink and white at the top into lush pinks and reds. Irwin can be seen laying out the mid range flowers.

Irwin is pictured soldering the exterior of the shade. The 18" Peony must be removed from the form in two pieces and put back together due to the undercut at the lower portion of the shade.

Below is an overhead shot of the completed lamp.

Lamp of the Week: Windswept Daffodil

It is well known that Louis Comfort Tiffany's favorite flower was the daffodil, and the flower appears on lamp shades ranging from 14" to 28". The 20" Windswept Daffodil is a lively rendition of this bright, cheery springtime flower with the blooms dancing across the surface of the shade. Commissioned by a New Jersey client in 2013, this shade was created in vibrant jewel tones of green, yellow and deep orange/amber.

The Birth of Venus

The Birth of Venus was painted in the late 1400's by Sandro Botticelli. This classic painting depicts the goddess Venus, emerging from the sea as an adult on an open clam shell. She is calmly being blown towards the shore where she will be robed by a waiting handmaiden. It is generally believed that the painting was commissioned by the Medici family of Florence, Italy, where the painting is still displayed today.

We often receive requests to interpret classic images into stained glass windows, and this 24" x 36" window was commissioned by a client in Michigan. To create the window, Bill drew the image to the proper size and made the patterns needed to do the glass layout.

Once all the pieces were cut and fit to the pattern, Bill began the painting the faces and body parts on each of the four figures. Once the general outlines were defined and kiln fired, Bill added several more layers of glass paint to achieve the shading on the bodies. The finished window was fitted with a wooden frame.

Lamp of the Week: 24" Snowball

This 24" Snowball shade features a variety of glasses in a blended color scheme. Set against a stunning purple sky, the flower clusters are rendered in a variety of off whites, greens, and amber tones. The abundant foliage has greens tinged with purple, yellow, and amber, giving the shade an Impressionistic coloration. Snowball bushes can reach heights and widths of 8 to 20 feet. Since flowers on Tiffany Lamps were rendered life sized, this large flowering bush makes a perfect subject for the generous proportions of a 24" shade. The irregular lower edge gives this design the natural feel of a large specimen in full bloom. The 24" Snowball is the deepest Tiffany Studios shade design. Occasionally, this shade is used as a large table lamp lamp, but the Snowball works best on one of the Senior Floor bases or as a chandelier fixture. This shade was created in the 1990's and is in a private collection.

16" Acorn and New Wally Birds

Just completed for our showroom is this 16" Acorn shade. The lively green glass gives the shade an air of springtime freshness. The shade is shown on the Leaves of Grass pottery base and is currently available for purchase in our showroom.

We have two new Wally Birds from the master potters at Bur Oak Pottery. The Crow, with his sly expression is a standard sized bird who stands approximately 13" tall. The Owl, at 20.5" tall, is one of the largest birds we have had from Bur Oak. Both jars are created with removable heads revealing a space within the bodies to stash items. Created from stoneware that has been fired in a wood burning kiln, each bird features a distinctive salt glaze and has a hand turned wooden base. Both birds are currently available for purchase in our showroom.