25" Mandarin Lotus Lamp, Part 2

Soldering on a 25" Mandarin Lotus shade takes quite a bit of time and patience. Due to the accordion pleat surface of the shade and the fact that 800 degree molten solder runs downhill, the shade must be constantly repositioned to ensure a proper bead line.


This shade has hand applied wires on the peak of every fold to accentuate the three dimensional aspect of the design. The shade is being removed from the form so that the soldering can be completed on the underside of the lamp. The undulating irregular lower edge is finished with a half round copper wire.

The completed shade was mated with the Mandarin Lotus base (or Ribbed Lotus base), which was specifically designed for this shade by Tiffany Studios. We create the base at Century Studios using molds taken from an original Tiffany example. An overhead photo of the completed shade can be seen at the top of the post.

Lamp of the Week: Scarab Lamp

The Scarab Lamp is a petite accent light with a pressed glass shade in the shape of a beetle. This is a tricky little lamp to create, and much time and patience is required in its construction. We created this delightful lamp as a showroom piece in 2012, but once completed it was quickly snapped up by a local client.

25" Mandarin Lotus, Part 1

Inspired by the saucer-like leaves of the lotus plant which can be as large as two feet in diameter, the 25" Mandarin Lotus shade is unique amongst Tiffany shade designs. The accordion-pleated surface undulates along the veins of the leaves, creating a three dimensional effect not seen in any other Tiffany design. We were commissioned to create a 25" Mandarin Lotus lamp by a client in Ohio.

Blending three different glasses to create the distinctive shift in color, Irwin is placing each piece for the upper portion of the lamp in the above photo. In this shade, individual pieces of glass are not shaped like a traditional geometric lamp due to the undulating surface of the shade. For a proper fit, each piece has a beveled edge.

Color shading was checked on the light table before foiling the pieces. Bill is seen foiling one portion of the shade. Once all the pieces were foiled, Irwin transferred each piece to the waxed shade form. At the top of the post, the foiled shade can be seen, ready for soldering.

Lamp of the Week: 20" Turtleback Chandelier

This unusual 20" Turtleback Chandelier was created using large turtleback tiles which were pressed using molds taken from an original example. The amber/butterscotch glass tiles were custom made for Century Studios and took several years of trial and error to get the color just right. The tiles have a strong amber lustre surface. The spaces between the large tiles are filled by hand cutting/fitting/faceting chunks cut from additional tiles. The finished shade realistically resembles the shell of a large tortoise. We can also create this shade using green turtlebacks. This stunning lamp is currently available in our showroom.

Lamp of the Week: 22" Wisteria

Tiffany Studios created Wisteria lamps in several sizes and shapes. One of the most versatile of these is the 22" Wisteria which can be a table lamp, chandelier, or floor lamp. Commissioned in 2002 by a Midwest client, the cascading flowers in this shade have a variety of blue, purple, lavender, and white tones. The irregular lower edge gives the shade a naturalist look.  The shade is shown on the telescoping Perforated base.

16" Dragonfly

Summer is dragonfly season. Commissioned by a client in Pennsylvania, this colorful 16" Dragonfly shade features red bodied dragonflies flying across a green and amber background. The sculptural Bell Pepper base completes the lamp.

OzCon 2015

This past weekend, Irwin Terry and Bill Campbell attended OzCon 2015 in San Diego, California. This annual convention celebrates all things Oz, from the original book series, to the 1939 MGM movie, stage productions and, well...everything Oz!

On Friday morning at the convention, we gave an hour long presentation on the Oz themed stained glass panels we have been creating at our studio for the past 30 years. The presentation was illustrated with projections of our work which included pieces we created for Books of Wonder in the 1980's & 90's to the larger windows we have been making in recent years.

We created a special stained glass piece for the presentation which was inspired by the cover of The Road To Oz. The image shows Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion. Bill designed this panel to show many different glass techniques in a piece we could carry on the plane to the convention. The piece included painting, detailed piecework, plating, sandblasting, and specialty glasses such as iridescent glass and drapery glass.