22" Nasturtium Shade

The 22" Nasturtium shade is a generously proportioned turban shaped shade that can be used as a chandelier fixture, on a floor base, or as a table lamp. We recently completed this shade for a client in Texas. The finished piece is shown on the large Turtleback base. The band of green turtleback tiles is illuminated from within the base.This large bronze reproduction Tiffany base is made at Century Studios.

Taking our color cues from an original Tiffany Studios example that was sold at auction last year, this shade has muted greens and a mix of flower colors. The background glass is a mottled, blue tone with green and pink/red running through it. The green rippled borders add texture to the shade. The overall effect of the shade is a harmonious blend of colors.

To the left, Irwin is seen transferring the foiled pieces onto the form. The pieces are held in position with our house-made tacky wax in preparation for soldering the shade.

Skylights

A local client recently commissioned two Skylights for their cabin/lake home renovation. Each of the skylights consist of nine individual panels which are set into a wooden framework. The smaller of the two illumates a stairway landing, while the larger is located in a bathroom.

To add sparkle and additional color to the panels, each is adorned with pressed glass faceted "jewels". The center panel of the large skylight has a dragonfly floating gently amongst the leaves, while the small skylight features a ruby throated hummingbird.

Spider Lamp

One of the more popular small shade designs created by Tiffany Studios is the Spider lamp. We recently completed a 15" Spider lamp for a client in Washington state. Using a subtly colored, light yellow reproduction glass, this shade has just a hint of color. With the cast bronze spider legs and sloping irregular lower border, this small lamp is highly detailed. The Spider shade was mated with the wonderfully detailed Mushroom base which was the combination used by Tiffany Studios.

Site Update

We did an update on our website today, adding many of the new shades, bases and windows we have completed over the past six months.

20" Geometric

A short while ago, we completed this 20" Geometric shade for a client in North Carolina. This is the first time we have created this 20" shade pattern. Created from deep red, heavily mottled glass, the shade has a lush, velvety look. The brickwork pattern provides additional interest. The shade is shown on the Large Stick base.

Greek Urn Base & 16" Daisy Shade

After much anticipation, we are pleased to introduce the Greek Urn Base to our studio showroom. This classic Tiffany Studios lamp base looks fantastic with most 16" or 18" shades. The spun urn is supported by four sinuous, cast bronze legs and the shade rests on a tripod arm set. The base has three lights.


The 16" Daisy Shade is a hybrid of a Tiffany Studios shade design. The shade pattern is actually the 16" Black Eyed Susan, but for years Bill has been speculating that the pattern would look wonderful in daisy colors.

While this variation is a Century Studios' idea, it was not unusual for Tiffany Studios to change colors on an existing shade pattern to create a new design. One such example is the 22" Laburnum (when created in golden tones), and the 22" Wisteria (when created in blue tones). We believe the 20" Black Eyed Susan would also look good in daisy colors.

For the 16" Daisy, Bill has continued his "blue period" - he first completed the layout of the 10" Wisteria Lamp (See our posting from May 20, 2012), and then this shade. When created in daisy colors, the shade becomes light and happy, invoking a sunny spring day. In the photo to the left, Irwin is shown soldering the outside of the shade.

The shade is shown above on the new Greek Urn Base, but it works equally well with any of our bases. To the right, it is shown on the Kendrick Pottery Base.

Parakeet and Fish Bowl Window

New to our showroom is the Parakeet and Fish Bowl Window. Adapted from an original Tiffany window design, this piece features colorful birds clustered around a large hanging fish bowl, amid blossoming tree branches. While this is a fairly unlikely situation to be found in nature, the juxtaposition of the brightly colored birds and luminous bowl make for a striking image. The original window was created by Tiffany Studios in 1893 for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. In 1996, the original Tiffany window was sold at Christie's in New York for $1,047,500.00.


To create our version, Bill referenced photographs of the original Tiffany window, and hand drew the cartoon. Once the pattern was created, Bill began the layout process with the sky portions. The lower sky was cut from a piece of Chicago Art Glass which we have been saving for over ten years for this specific window project. CAG created wonderful glass and has been out of business for over 7 years.

The fish bowl is created using two layers of glass. The front layer is a single piece of heavily rippled transparent glass which gives the abstracted fish in the bowl a sense of movement. To complete the lifelike impression that the bowl is suspended in a tree, copper chain was affixed to the surface of the window - a detail borrowed from the original Tiffany Studios' window.

It is interesting to note that in the original window the rendering for the birds was taken from the 1829 John James Audubon print Carolina Parrot from his work The Birds of America (this image is frequently referred to as Carolina Parakeet). The artists at Tiffany Studios must have had access to a copy of this remarkable book, and it would have appealed to Louis C. Tiffany to use this work as a reference because the birds are represented life sized in the print. Whenever possible in windows or lamps, Mr. Tiffany wanted plants (and animals) to be drawn "true to life", so this reference work would have been far easier than finding birds to draw from life at the studio.

The Parakeet and Fish Bowl Window is currently on display in our showroom and available for purchase.