Lamp of the Week: 28" Grape Trellis

The 28" Grape Trellis was originally designed by Tiffany Studios as a chandelier fixture, but the shade can also be used as a floor lamp or oversized table lamp. Tiffany's large chandelier cones present the lamp artist with a an exciting opportunity to showcase the beauty of stained glass in ways not possible on smaller shades. The intricate patterns and expanded surface area allows for more variety within the shade. As is the case with may of the large chandelier cones, the 28" Grape Trellis has a non-repeating pattern.

The 28" Grape Trellis pattern is defined by the trellis itself, which provides a visual structure for the leaves and large clusters of fully mature fruit to realistically intertwine across the surface of the shade.  The color of the trellis informs and tones every aspect of the piece since it appears throughout the entire shade. The background areas were cut from a number of different glasses that sometimes blend, and often provide contrast to the surrounding elements.

For the fruit and foliage we chose glasses with a wide variety of textures, colors, and transparencies. The grapes are a mix of lush blues, deep purples, and reds tinged with blue and green. Ring mottled glass imparts a sun dappled effect to the leaves and provides shading on the grapes. One of the features of this shade is the large leaf that is cut from drapery glass. The pleated folds of the drapery glass add a realistic element to the shade.  

The completed shade is a visual delight that blends together glasses from all the major glass makers of the past 30 years. The overall tone of the piece is lush and bursting with life. This exciting chandelier is currently available for purchase.

7 Light Lily

At Century Studios, our cast bronze Tiffany Lily Lamps are created in our studio using molds taken from an original Tiffany Studios example. We offer these distinct table lamps in 7, 10, 12 & 18 light versions. We recently completed a 7 Light Lily Table Lamp that was commissioned by a client in Massachusetts.

A milestone in the history of lighting design, Louis Comfort Tiffany introduced lily lamps in the 1890's and showed the world what could be created with some imagination and an electric light bulb. This illuminated sculpture is inspired by a cluster of water lilies, with the glass flowers nodding gently above the bronze lily pads and buds. Even the light bulb was incorporated into the design, forming the stamen of each blossom.

We currently have this 12 Light Lily Table Lamp available at the studio for immediate purchase. Any of our lily table lamps, chandeliers and wall sconces can be made to order.

Lamp of the Week: 22" Bamboo

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.  Each leaf is heated in a kiln and bent to follow the curvature of the shade. By eliminating the horizontal lines that are usually needed to fit long pieces of glass to the curve of a lamp form, the plants depicted on the shade have a realistic look.

We created this 22" Bamboo shade in 1990 for our showroom and it is now in the collection of a local client. The background glass is a lightly mottled pale green tone with hints of rosy amber. For the leaves, a spring green mixed with orange/amber was used. The shade is shown on the Bamboo Jr. Floor base.

16" Pomegranate

The 16" Pomegranate is one of Tiffany Studios many popular shades that incorporate a decorative band bookmarked by geometric glass tiles. For this shade, we used a warm orange/amber glass for the main body of the shade with the pomegranates in a slightly deeper tone.

The glass used for the body of the shade has the unusual property of changing color when illuminated. Developed by the Youghiogheny Glass Foundry, the glass is called True  Dichro. True Dichro glass is one color in reflected light and changes to another when illuminated. For this shade we chose a glass that looks olive green unlit and changes to orange/amber.

This shade was commissioned to be used on a Budding Gourd Pottery base as shown at the top of the post. We have also photographed the shade on the Poppy Pottery base, a new addition to our line of bases. The shape of the base is inspired by an original Grueby Pottery lamp base used by Tiffany Studios. The shape is reminiscent of the seed pod of the poppy flower. This base is 18" tall and will work for 14" and 16" shades.

Lamp of the Week: 22" Chestnut

The 22" Chestnut is a Century Studios' interpretation of a Tiffany Studios shade design which does not appear to have been produced. A Tiffany Studios salesman's sample panel showing one pattern repeat is in the collection of the Morse Museum in Florida and appears in several books. Using a photograph of the panel and general measurements as our guide, we decided to create the shade as a 22" modified turban shape. The shape fit the pattern well and at the 22" shade size the flowers and leaves appeared to be life sized - something that is common in most Tiffany floral shade designs. 

Using the original sample panel as our color inspiration, the shade is rendered in rich, saturated colors. The abundant flowers at the top of the shade are pink and red with hints of off-white. Large leaves overlap one another on the lower half of the shade. The leaves blend from vibrant reds mixed with orange into green and yellow. The deep blue and green fracture glass background at the bottom of the shade lightens to blue with pink at the top.

Created in 2011 for a client in Illinois, the shade is shown on the Twisted Vine base.

13" Venetian

 Century Studios is pleased to introduce a new design to our list of reproduction Tiffany shades - the 13" Venetian. Originally conceived as part of the Venetian desk set, this incredibly detailed shade has a higher piece count than most of the 22" shades we offer.

The shade has 1148 individual pieces of glass. For comparison, a 22" Elaborate Peony shade has 1038 and a 22" Tulip has 1125 pieces. Each piece was laid out, cut by hand, and fit to the flat pattern. The colors were checked on the light table before fitting and foiling could begin.

Sections of the lamp were positioned on the waxed form to check the final fit. Foiling progressed in as the process of fitting the pieces continued. Once completely transferred onto the form, the shade was soldered together.

With its intricate detailing, the shade has the look of a delicately enameled Faberge Egg. The golden fretwork creates vignettes where grey/blues and mottled greens are punctuated by exclamations of red and orange.

 The 13" Venetian shade was commissioned by a client in Canada and is shown on the Zodiac base.

Lamp of the Week: 16" Fern

The 16" Fern is a most unusual Tiffany Studios shade design. The strong graphic sensibility of the pattern stays true to the plant it represents while calling to mind Tiffany's Moorish style lighting fixtures that rely on sculpted wire work. This glass chosen for this piece is a subtle variation of two greens. Shown on the Cereus base, this lamp was commissioned in 2007 by a Midwest client.

Cobweb Mosaic Lamp - Part 3

With the 20" Cobweb shade completed, we continued on with finishing the base. The upper portion of the base has a fretwork canopy of cast bronze branches that splay out from the main body and form the support for the shade. Within this fretwork, glass flowers and leaves are interspersed. This ingenious design element not only physically supports the shade, but it visually connects the shade to the base, blending the two elements into a seamless sculptural piece.

The base is covered in glass mosaic that depicts narcissus growing up between the eight bronze tree supports. While Irwin was soldering on the shade and fretwork, Bill was busy cutting the pictorial mosaic pieces for the body of the lamp base.

Bill meticulously fit and cemented each piece of glass mosaic to the base. In the photo above, the floral portion of the mosaic has been completed.

 Bill then had to cut and fit the geometric "sky", using a blue lustre glass. Once all the mosaic pieces were cemented in place, the mosaic was grouted and the patina on the bronze was completed.

 The final step in completing the lamp was wiring the base. The lamp now completed, the piece was ready to be illuminated.

The completed lamp engages the viewer in many ways. The lit shade dazzles and sparkles with transmitted light, while the mosaic on the base is tactile, each piece reflecting light from a different angle. The bronze casting provides a bold stability, yet the bronze fretwork gives the piece an airy lightness.

Along with the Wisteria, Dragonfly, and Magnolia lamps, the 20" Cobweb Mosaic lamp (29" tall) is one of Tiffany Studios signature lamp designs. Each element of this visually stunning lamp blends together creating a three dimensional painting in glass and bronze.

Here is a short video of the completed lamp.

Lamp of the Week: 16" Wild Rose

The 16" Wild Rose shade has a wide border of rambling roses on the lower half of the shade. The upper portion is a deconstructed geometric that resembles the paving on a garden path. Created in 2001 for a local client, this shade has warm amber tones mixes with hints of green and pink. The flowers are rendered in delicate shades of pink and rose, with dappled green foliage. The shade is shown on the Ribbed base with Arms.