18" Peony

This week we completed an 18" Peony lamp for a local client. The client had asked us to create a shade that was full of color and personality. The challenge on a shade of this type is to put strong color into it, but to still have the colors blend. With its rich red flowers and the amber/green/red background, the completed shade has a warm glow. The blue/green borders give this piece the extra excitement our client was looking for.

The shade is pictured on the Ribbed base. The bottom of the lamp base mimics the shape of the shade, making it a perfect combination. The base rests on five balls, and the ribbed surface provides a subtle three dimensional quality to the metalwork.

Tobacco Leaf Base

In our last posting, we showed the 14" Dragonfly shade on a base that has not appeared in our showroom before - the Tobacco Leaf base. Created in our studio from molds taken off a Tiffany Studios' original example, this base has an interesting shape and wonderful detailing. The Tobacco Leaf base works well with any 12" or 14" shade.

New Lamps

For our recent show at the end of September, we created a number of new shades and bases, some of which are now on display in our showroom, available for purchase.

The 14" Dragonfly shade is the smallest of the Tiffany dragonfly designs. This design is perfect for showcasing vibrant color, and it makes a wonderful accent lamp. The jewels in the background of the shade were made by Century Studios, using molds taken from original Tiffany jewels. This exciting dragonfly was created in a fiery red/orange/yellow glass. It is pictured on the Tobacco Leaf base which was made in our studio using molds taken off an original Tiffany Studios' base.

Another dragonfly design created for our show is the 16" Dragonfly shade, pictured on the Swamp Flower base. The red-eyed dragonflies skim the surface of this shimmering shade with its cool, watery tones of blue and green. The Swamp Flower base works equally well with 14" shades.

The Chinese base supports our third shade, the 12" Apple Blossom. This surface of this reproduction four-sided base is incised with a stylized Chinese dragon motif which adorns the desk set pieces created by Tiffany Studios. This petite shade features flower centers that are hand chipped from thick pieces of golden yellow glass, giving the shade a jewel-like appearance.

20" Geometric Cone

This week, we are pleased to add another Tiffany Studios design to our list of reproduction shade patterns. The 20" Geometric Cone is a larger version of the 16" Geometric Cone which we introduced this past spring (see our posting from May 29, 2010).

The 20" shade makes a perfect table lamp or chandelier fixture. The simplicity of the design works well in any interior with a look that is tasteful and elegant. An original Tiffany Studios' example in a color scheme similar to this one was used as set dressing in the movie My Fair Lady. In the film, the lamp can be seen on the piano in Professor Higgins' library/study.

The shade pictured is made in a medium amber tone that gives off a pleasant, golden glow. It is shown on the Ribbed Base.

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.