Chain Mail

Tiffany Studios created many different kinds of lighting fixtures using a unique "chain mail" which could be put together in a variety of ways. Each square of the chain mail has a small square of art glass held inside it. Usually found on Tiffany wall sconces or hanging chandeliers, chain mail was also be used to make unique objects like fireplace screens.

At Century Studios, we have long been fascinated with the many uses that this distinctive Tiffany application had in period lighting. Medieval, Moorish and Middle Eastern in its design influence, chain mail extends the length of a stained glass shade. It can be used as the decorative glass element in a fixture on its own. After researching original Tiffany pieces, we are pleased to introduce reproduction Tiffany Studios Chain Mail to our clients.

In the fixture pictured above, we have created a wall sconce using a 7" Geometric shade which has two rows of chain mail attached to it. Each piece of chain mail is put together by hand, taking much time and patience to delicately weave the squares into a flexible fringe for the shade. Chain mail can be added to the lower border of any hanging shade in multiple rows to give a fixture a unique period look.

11th Annual Arts & Crafts Show

We arrived bright and early, and at 9am on Saturday the doors opened on the 11th Annual Arts & Crafts Show at the Minnesota State Fair Grounds. With over 50 local, regional and national dealers specializing in early 20th Century period antiques, reproductions and new works, the show has something for everyone. Visitors to the show were numerous, and sales were strong on the first day. The show continues today from 11am until 4pm.

It was a chilly, gray fall day outside, but inside the "lamp cave" it was warm and glowing. Our Century Studios booth features over 30 lamps and lighting fixtures including our signature Tiffany reproduction stained glass and lily lamps. Our booth also showcases hand made pottery and blown glass vases.

Show Set-up

It has been a very busy week! We have kept all of our candles burning at both ends to get some exciting new lamps ready for the 11th Annual Arts & Crafts Show & Sale this weekend at the Minnesota State Fair Grounds in the Progress Center building.

We completed many lamp shades and bases just in time for the show. In the photo above, Bill is hand waxing the patinated bronze lamp parts. In the photo below, Irwin is doing the final assembly and electrical wiring on the bases.

We have packed up almost everything in our showroom for this two day event. Bill carefully packed many heavy boxes of pottery to take for our booth.


Once again, we have constructed the "Lamp Cave" to showcase our reproduction Tiffany lamps.

St. Paul artist Nick McArdell arrives with several new pieces of his Turner & Scratch hand made pottery. Nick will once again be demonstrating his clay decoration techniques at our booth.


It seems like Bill just got the boxes of pottery packed up and he had to unpack everything again (Irwin really is helping, but somebody had to shoot the photo!).


After a long day, the booth is almost picture perfect. We will arrive bright and early to do the final tweaking before the show opens at 9am tomorrow!

Magnolia Windows

Our client has forwarded photos of the installed Magnolia windows we created earlier this year for his home in Ohio. See our postings from Feb. 1, Feb. 16, March 1 and March 8 to view the creation of these windows. The two large windows grace the paneled dining room.

Upon completing the installation, our client wrote, "They serve as functional art and are absolutely stunning to behold as the sun rises and sets throughout the day. The art you created for me communicates different ideas to all that see it during different stages of light—glass creates very expressive art."

Show Lamps

Every year about this time we try to get a few new lamps made before the upcoming Arts & Crafts Show. We have been working on two new pieces for the show, and hope to sneak in more before next weekend!



Inspired by a large dragonfly we found on our front door one recent Sunday morning, we are putting together a 16" Dragonfly shade. Using a few of the new Circa 1900 glasses, the shade will have a rich blue/green background and muted light green/purple wings. Irwin was busy soldering on the shade over the weekend.


Meanwhile, Bill has been laying out a dazzling 18" Peacock shade. The entire surface of this intricate shade is created in a delicate ripple glass with jewel-like tones of greens and blues. Purple accents towards the bottom of the shade contrast the rich flowing feathers that come from the top of the shade. Bill has been busily foiling the 1150 pieces of glass that will make up this signature Tiffany design.

We will show photos of the completed lamps in upcoming posts.

Arts & Crafts Show

At Century Studios, we are busily preparing for the upcoming Arts & Crafts Show weekend which will be held at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds (located in the Progress Center) on September 25th & 26th. New shades are being created in our studio and new pottery is being finished up and coming into our showroom in anticipation of the event. Mark your calendars and be sure to join us for this exciting show which features dealers from across the country.

For more information on the show, visit our website and look in the About Us section, or visit www.eastwoodgallery.com.

22" Tulip Shade

Tulips are used as the design motif on a large variety of Tiffany Studios shades. Sizes for tulip shades range from 14" to 22". Due to the multitude of colors which these springtime flowers come in, the palette for shades is practically endless.








We have been working on a 22" Tulip shade for a local client. The flower colors for this lamp are an impressionistic blend of reds, oranges, purples, yellows and peach tones. Even with the multiple flower colors, the overall tone of the lamp is lighter and not heavy. A variety of greens have been chosen for the lush foliage. In the photo to the left, Bill is seen laying out the cut and fit flower pieces on the glass palettes. To the right, Irwin is foiling a completed section.

The layout for this shade pattern has three repeats, but because of the complexity of the pattern and size of the shade, it is difficult to see the repeated section when the lamp is put together. One foiled section is shown below.
Large floral shades like this 22" Tulip take many weeks to complete. Much time and care is spent on the complicated layout of colors which bring the pattern to life. Once the glass has been cut and fit to the pattern, the construction of the shade takes a considerable amount of time and patience. In the photo to the left, Irwin is seen soldering on the outside of the shade.

The completed lamp is shown on the impressive Turtleback base (see photo at the top). This bronze reproduction base was created by our studio using molds taken from an original Tiffany Studios example. The heavy base can be used with many different large shades from 22" to 28".