Happy Halloween!

Did you know that every week we post a "lamp from the past" on our Century Studios Facebook Page? This week's lamp is the 17" Bat which we created in 2011. To see more lamp photos from our archives, visit us on Facebook.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

16" Bamboo

This 16" Bamboo shade was commissioned by a client in North Carolina. The shade is shown on the Small Stick base.

The background glass for the shade is a translucent green/blue/purple mix that creates a smokey atmosphere. Each of the long leaves are slumped in a kiln to match the curvature of the shade. By eliminating the lines that would be needed to fit the long pieces of glass to the curve, the shade has a realistic look. The various bamboo shades are the only Tiffany Studios' lamp patterns where slumped glass has been employed so that the lead lines do not break up the glass to fit the curve of the shade.

Two Recent Lamps

Here are a couple of lamps we have recently completed. The first is a 20" Acorn shade which was commissioned by a client in the Boston area to add to his collection of Century Studios lamps. This large geometric shade was made in tones of green mixed with yellow. Rich amber acorns adorn the decorative band. It is shown on the Twisted Vine base. Upon receiving the piece, the client wrote, "This is my most favorite!! I can't stop looking at it! This is really beautiful! Thank you for exceeding my expectations!"

The second lamp is a 16" Geranium shade. This Tiffany Studios' shade design takes a common flower and elevates it to star billing. The glass for this shade has a blue/grey background (streaked with green) which is a perfect backdrop to the bold mixed leaf greens and vivid red flowers. To set off the plant colors, a light green ripple glass was used as the border color. The Geranium shade is shown on the Greek Urn base which is a recent addition to our Century Studios line of bases. This lamp was completed in time for the Arts & Crafts Show in September and was sold at the show.

Lily Lamps

In addition to the two new 3 Light Lily lamps (see our post from Sept 26, 2012), we have recently completed several other lily lamps. These classic Tiffany Studios designs fit into any decor as an accent light or a showcase lit sculpture.

For each reproduction lily lamp we create, the lost-wax, cast bronze lily pad base is made at our studio using molds taken from an original Tiffany example. We pour and clean up the waxes, then send them out to a local foundry to be cast in bronze. When we get the raw bronze parts back from the foundry, we chase (do the final clean-up) and assemble the parts at our studio. The stems are hand bent into shape using guides that match the original Tiffany lamp. Once the construction is complete, we apply the verdigris patina to the bronze in a four step process. The lamp is then given a final waxing to seal the patina and the lamp is wired. The lamp is finished with blown glass gold lustre lily shades which are made by a regional glass blower.

Joining the 12 Light Lily table lamp in our showroom is a 7 Light Lily table lamp. We have also recently completed a 12 Light Lily floor lamp. Our showroom also showcases several Lily Chandelier fixtures.

Peacocks and Peonies

 The Peacock window was completed in time to make its debut in our booth at the Arts and Crafts show in September. Inspired by an original Tiffany Studios window, the multicolored peacock rests majestically on a balustrade overlooking a garden and a serene lake beyond. This colorful window is highly detailed, and is framed in a dark wooden frame so it can be hung from chains in front of a window.






Also completed in time for the show is this lush 18" Peony shade. Composed in rich tones of pinks and greens, the shade has shots of blue and yellow which lend additional excitement to the piece. The pink tones in the glass are achieved by the addition of gold to the glass batch. When mixed into to the batch, gold produces pinks and purples that light with a fuchsia tone. The shade is shown on the Pottery Base - Kendrick Design. The reproduction metalwork was made in our studio, and the pottery portion of the base was created to our specifications by Ephraim Faience Pottery.

This 18" Peony shade is the 800th reproduction Tiffany stained glass lamp shade created by Century Studios! Time has certainly flown since we first started our studio June 1, 1986.

A Quick Trip to LA

This past weekend we took a trip to Los Angeles to install/set up the Autumn Folding Screen at its new home in Beverly Hills. The setting for the screen could not have been more perfect, and it now occupies one corner of the great room where it gets lots of light from two floor to ceiling glass door/windows.

After we completed the installation, we had some time to explore and enjoy the area. On Saturday, we visited the Huntington Library and Gardens in Pasadena. The Library is home to several museum buildings as well as extensive themed gardens.

One of the museums on the grounds houses a collection of American fine and decorative art. It was a pleasure to run across a Tiffany Studios 18 Light Lily Table Lamp as well as several desk set pieces. This building also has a beautiful exhibition of Green and Green furnishings, lighting and a period room.


Strolling the grounds was inspiring and tiring! The Lily Pond Garden was especially memorable and has us itching to make up a 20" Waterlily shade for the showroom.

In several ponds there were Lotus plants. While past their bloom, these impressive plants displayed the huge round leaves that inspired the artists at Tiffany Studios to create the Mandarin Lotus Shade. Many of the leaves swaying gently above the water surface looked just as large as this impressive shade, which is 25" across.