18" Peony & Dragonfly Vase

We completed an 18" Peony shade for a local client this past week. The glass used for the shade included some wonderful pale pinks in the flowers. The shade is pictured on a Kendrick design pottery base. The photo below shows the flat layout of the shade on our light table.
We are about mid way through the pre-order period for our 2011 Limited Edition Dragonfly Vase. Century Studios is offering this rare piece of Ephraim Pottery to our clients on a pre-order basis for $200.00. Due of our long standing relationship with Ephraim Pottery, Century Studios is the only dealer for which EFP creates a special edition vase. To pre-order this piece for your collection, contact us by FRIDAY MARCH 11, 2011 at 651-699-4838. Time is getting short to pre-order this year's vase, so call soon!

The design process for our limited edition vase begins in the late fall of each year. Before talking with Ephraim Faience Pottery, Irwin & Bill discuss what the proposed design might look like, the size of the vase, and what glaze the body of the piece will have. Irwin then creates a sketch which is forwarded to the pottery for their consideration and input. This year, we proposed making the vase with two dragonflies - one flying up and the other down. In the past, our vases always had the dragonflies swirling in the same direction.

After viewing the sketches and making the final decision on the background glaze, a prototype Artist's Proof piece was created by EFP. The choice of colors on the dragonfly bodies and wings was left to the glazer's imagination and we are thrilled with the color combination of the vase.

A Few Lamps

Here are photos of a few lamps that we either recently completed, or have had the opportunity to re-photograph:

We created this fantastic 22" Laburnum on a Twisted Vine base for a client in St. Louis. We recently had the shade back in our studio and were able to re-photograph it.

Creatures of the night rarely appear on original Tiffany lamps, but they did produce a 17" Bat design! The studios made very few examples of this design. We recently completed a Bat shade for a local collection. The unusual bat base was supplied by the client and Bill Campbell did the blue lustre mosaic on the base.

Commissioned by an Illinois client, this 16" Turtleback shade is mounted on the unusual Turtleback Band Base. Both the shade and base were created at Century Studios. In previous postings, we have shown an example of this base which we made with a red turtleback band. A light inside the base illuminates the band of hand-cut turtlebacks.

18" Apple Blossom

The 18" Apple Blossom lamp is now complete and awaiting delivery to its home in Illinois.

Referencing a rare Tiffany Studios original lamp, our clients requested that the metal branches extend into the body of the shade. These branches are usually rendered in a combination of metalwork (towards the top) and glass (in the lower portions). The allover metalwork gives the shade a distinctive look which highlights the delicate piecework in the flowers, leaves and background.

The glass for the background of this shade was chosen from many pieces of fracture glass, some transparent, some opalescent. The mixing of clear and denser glass imparts the natural look of a tree against a cloudy sky. The flowers and leaves are almost completely made from ripple and textured glass.

Limited Edition Dragonfly Vase #13

CENTURY STUDIOS LIMITED EDITION DRAGONFLY VASE #13 PRE-ORDER PRICE $200.00

Century Studios is pleased to announce the next in our exclusive series of limited edition dragonfly pots, created annually by Ephraim Faience Pottery. This vase is the 13th in our ongoing series, and is approximately 6.5” tall and 4” wide. The vase features two polychrome dragonflies (one flying up, the other flying down with red bodies and multicolored wings) in relief, and is glazed in Autumn Reflections. This is a signed, numbered, limited edition vase that bears the Ephraim Faience Pottery hallmark as well as the Century Studios logo signifying that it is an exclusive piece for our studio.

Century Studios is offering this rare piece of Ephraim Pottery to our clients on a pre-order basis. No more than 50 pieces will be made! The exact number of pieces to be created in this pattern will be determined by how many vases are ordered in advance. We are limiting quantities to one per client.

To pre-order this piece for your collection, contact us by FRIDAY MARCH 11, 2011. All pre-ordered pieces must be prepaid in full. Once your payment has been received, a confirming receipt will be sent in the mail. Production time for this issue will be approximately 8 - 9 weeks and should arrive at Century Studios by late May 2011. We will then either ship the piece to you or contact you for pickup.

Century Studios
651-699-4838
centurystudios@visi.com

Hooch Bottles

Artist Nick McArdell or Turner & Scratch Pottery has completed a new batch of Hooch Bottles. These fantastic bottles are hand thrown and decorated, and each is emblazoned with a Skull & Crossbone design. Glazed inside and out, they are water/liquor tight and each comes with a cork. Each bottle is generously sized and will hold almost a complete bottle of your favorite, or most feared liquor. Priced at $110.00 each, they make an unique Valentine's Day Gift.

Below, are pictured all the bottles currently available in our showroom!