18" Flowering Lotus, Part 1

For the past six weeks we have been working on an 18" Flowering Lotus shade that was commissioned by a client in North Carolina. With just under 1800 individual piece of glass, this shade takes time and patience to create.

Louis C. Tiffany had an affinity for flowering water plants and the lotus, with its large saucer shaped leaves and lush flowers inspired many lamp patterns. For the 18" Flowering Lotus, the long slender stems cascade down the sides of the shade ending in a profusion of bold flowers that encircle the lower half of the shade.

Our client requested a color pallet that suggests a water garden at twilight. Rich purple and blue fracture glass was chosen to give the shade an overall tone. The stem and flower colors were carefully selected to enhance the suggestion of evening.

Every step of this shade takes time and patience. Most of the hand rolled art glass we use is approximately 1/8" thick and for the upper half of the shade, the majority of the pieces are less than 1/8" wide. Approaching the top of the shade, pieces narrow to thin pointed slivers of glass. To be able to pick up and put down the delicate pieces into and out of the layout, we use a tweezers to handle each sliver of glass.

Several weeks into the process, the foiled pieces of glass are transferred onto the waxed form in preparation for soldering. Like every other step in the creating of this shade, transferring the pieces is a painstaking and time consuming process. The completion of the shade will be shown in an upcoming post.

STUDIO HOURS

Century Studios will have regular business hours through Saturday December 22. We will be closed Sunday December 23 through Tuesday January 1. We will resume regular business hours on Wednesday January 2.