22" Geometric

 

The 22" Geometric shade is a large, impressive shade that can be created in any coloration. For this piece, we began with a deep red at the top and gently shifted the color to a rich amber tone at the bottom. The brickwork positioning of the glass tiles gives the shade a stable appearance. This lamp was commissioned by a local client and is shown on the Twisted Vine base (lamp height 27" tall). The shade also works as a floor lamp or chandelier fixture.

 

Lamp of the Week: 18" Grape

 

With its lush foliage and fully ripened grapes, the 18" Grape is one of Tiffany Studios' most successful lamp designs. The shade begins with a cast bronze crown of open branches at the top that mates with the sturdy Tree Trunk base (23" tall).  The glass continues the flow of the branchwork and cascades downwards, ending in a naturalistic irregular lower edge. We used a wide variety of glasses to create the exciting coloration on this shade. Grapes in tones of blue, purple, burgundy, and red intermingle with the lush foliage, playfully dotting the surface of the shade. Commissioned in 2015 by a client in Vermont, the shade is a lively mix of color and texture.  

16" Snowball

 

 

The 16" Snowball shade is the tabletop version of the large 24" Snowball dome. The unusually deep shape of the shade is accentuated by the undulations of the lower edge, giving the shade a natural feel. For this piece, we chose a stunning blue glass for the sky. The flowers and leaves are a lively mix of heavily mottled and textured glasses. The flower colors range from off whites mixed with green to the rusty tones of mature blooms. Commissioned by a client in Maryland, the shade is shown on the slender Grooved base (24" tall).

Lamp of the Week: Mermaid with Nautilus Shell

 

The Mermaid with Nautilus Shell lamp depicts a bronze double-tailed mermaid riding the crest of a wave while holding a lit nautilus shell above her head. Tiffany Studios used the nautilus shade on a few different bases, but this has always been the most coveted shade/base combination. The color of the shade gently shifts from white to green. The height of the lamp is 16". This piece was commissioned by a local client in 2016.

 

16" Pomegranate

 

The 16" Pomegranate features a decorative border of eighteen pomegranates that encircle the shade in pleasant repetition. The amber tone of the shade plays off of the green glaze of the 7 Handled Pottery base. The lamp base is from our discontinued line of Grueby style pottery bases (see our post from October 15, 2020). This lamp was commissioned by a client in Kansas.

We still have two pottery bases available:

Poppy 18" tall  $1100.00 (14" - 16" shades) - Classic Grueby style base with a two tone textured glaze. One available.

Pottery & Bronze 19.5" tall - $1700.00 (16" - 18" shades) This is a one of a kind lamp base that combines a cast bronze lower portion and hand thrown pottery. One available

 

Lamp of the Week: 22" Elaborate Peony

 

With its intricate piecework and the suggestion of movement, the 22" Elaborate (or Windswept) Peony is aptly named. The generous scale of the shade allows the glass artist to explore the Impressionistic nature of the design. As a challenge to ourselves, we decided to make this lamp with a two sided color scheme. One side of the shade has fuchsia and orange colored flowers set against a predominantly green background. The colors are blended so that as the shade is spun, the opposite side reveals red flowers against a vivid blue background. Displayed on the sturdy Tree Trunk base, we created this lamp in 2005 as a showroom piece and it now resides in a private collection in Florida.

 

 

 

A Foundry Pickup

 

 

This past week we went to our foundry to drop off waxes for upcoming projects and pick up the bronze castings that were completed. Our foundry is an hours drive in both directions from the studio. Since reopening after a several month state mandated shutdown of all non essential businesses this past spring, the foundry has been inundated with orders from all their clients, including our studio. Due to this they were running with much longer lead times than usual and we had been anxiously waiting for several castings to be completed. To our surprise and delight, when we arrived they had all the castings completed that we had in production. After barely being able to fit all the bronzes into our car, we returned to the studio energized to get to work finishing the bases.

Every base we create at our studio is made completely by hand in the same way that a bronze statue is created. Using molds to pour waxes, each wax is cleaned by hand to remove mold seams and fill air bubbles before taking it to the foundry. Karen, the person in charge of waxes, then prepares the wax to be encased in a ceramic shell - a dipping process that builds up layers that will become the mold. Creating the shell takes over a week as each of the 13 layers of slurry and silica sand much be completely dry before adding the next layer. Once complete the mold is placed into a furnace to harden the shell and melt out the wax. The next step in the process is the actual bronze casting. Here is a 2019 video of the team at our foundry pouring bronzes https://castingcreations.business.site/posts/2456753793378200669?hl=en

Once cooled to room temperature, the ceramic shell is broken to reveal a raw bronze. Each wax makes one bronze, so if there is a flaw in the shell, the entire process must be restarted from the beginning. The bronze is then chased (cleaned up) by Dan, the person in charge of metal finishing and fabrication at the foundry. To create the Shell Urn base shown above, four castings are needed - each foot is cast individually and the body is a separate casting. Dan attaches the feet to the casting and it is ready to return to our studio for us to complete.

Several more days of meticulous work at our studio will be needed to finish the base and have it ready for our client. The lighting must be fabricated and all the individual parts need to be finished with a patina, a multi-step process. Finally, all the parts are assembled and the base is wired.

Lamp of the Week: 14" Geranium

 

 

The 14" Geranium is a compact shade that elevates this ubiquitous summertime potted plant to star status. For this example, cheerful red flowers pop against the sunny yellow background. A wide variety of mottled and rippled green glasses with an undercurrent of red are used for the distinctive foliage. We created this lamp for a local client in 2013. The shade is shown on the Penguin Foot base.

 

16" Geometric with Squares

 

Tiffany Studios designed a variety of geometric shades that feel at home in any decor. These elegantly simple designs emphasize the glass selected for the shade. For this 16" Geometric with Squares we chose a light butter yellow glass with a soft mottle for the main body of the shade. The accent rows at the bottom of the shade consist of two pale green horizontal rows and a decorative band of squares in wispy blue mixed with pale yellow. The shade is shown on the Small Stick base (20" tall) in the above photo.

The simple elegance of the Small Stick base imparts the finished lamp with a traditional look. Moving the shade onto the organic Tall Flower Petal base (20" tall) softens the visual profile of the lamp.

This 16" Geometric with Squares lamp is currently available for purchase from our studio showroom.