Lamp of the Week: Turtleback Hanging Lantern

 

We have created numerous Turtleback Hanging Lanterns over the years. This example with emerald green turtlebacks was made in 2012 for a client in California. Green, amber or red turtlebacks can be used, and each lantern has a hinged door with a glass panel on the bottom to let light shine below. The heavy bronze casting is created at our studio using the lost wax casting method utilizing molds taken off a Tiffany Studios original example. The completed lantern has a distinctive, period look.

 

18" Tulip

With their bold blooms and seemingly endless variety of colors, tulips are a favorite theme for Tiffany shade designs. We recently completed this 18" Tulip for a client in Missouri. The lush green foliage is anchored by rich earth tones and the horizontal border rows as the exuberant plants ascend to blue sky above. The flower colors are a mix of strong reds with deep pink and yellow accents.

The shade is mated with the elegant Decorated Trumpet base (22" tall).

 

Lamp of the Week: 20" Geometric Cone

Geometric shades can be created in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colors and fit well into any decor. This 20" Geometric Cone was commissioned in 2010. Our client requested a warm, golden amber tone for the shade. The shade is shown on the versatile Grooved base (24" tall).

 

20" Waterlily on Cattail Base

As the weather begins to change, we look forward to warm summer days and the flowers and blooming water plants that will lift our spirits. In anticipation of the coming spring and summer, we decided to create a 20" Waterlily shade for our studio showroom.

Irwin began composing the layout using a piece of Lins glass for the water portion of the lamp. We have had this sheet of glass since the 1990's and it has an unusual color mix of steely teal and mottled swampy green/off white. The mottled green lily pads were next selected, followed by the flowers.

As is usually the case with floral designs, Irwin chose the horizontal borders and flower center colors last. These are the accent colors that tone the shade and pull the composition together. The waterlily flowers are a luscious mix of velvety purples and pinks, creating an overall color effect that is saturated and lush.

The shade is shown on the sculptural Cattail base. A wide splay of bronze lily pads anchors the base to the table, while intricately detailed cattail leaves ascend around the central body of the base. The shade is supported by a bronze ring held by four arms. The combination of shade and base become an illuminated sculpture. 

We began this lamp to be a showroom piece, but it was acquired by a local client who happened to stop into the studio during the layout stages.

Lamp of the Week: Chain Mail Lantern

 

One of the more unusual hanging fixtures designed by Tiffany Studios is the Chain Mail Lantern. The look of the fixture is equally Moorish, Medieval, and Modern. The lantern itself is 9" wide and has 8 rows of chain mail. The fixture is shown at 33" in length, and can be made longer with the addition of more chain. The minimum length of the fixture is 25". We can create Chain Mail with any color of glass. The example shown was created as a showroom example and is now in a private residence.

Each individual piece of chain mail is created by hand, in a technique that Irwin refers to as "weaving with glass and metal". Starting with a small copper framework, which we had made to Tiffany's original specifications, a piece of hand cut glass is encased within the square. During the process, the small metal loops that tie one square to the next are incorporated. As the squares are attached to one another, a "metal fabric" is created that forms the decorative curtain of the lantern.
 

 

 

Bonus Lamp of the Week: 14" Daffodil

 

Tiffany Studios created daffodil shades in many sizes and shapes. The 14" Daffodil cone is a petit accent lamp that shows this bright springtime flower in full bloom. For this shade we chose a lively mix of sunny yellows, dappled greens, and fresh blues. Created in 2014 for a client in Texas, the shade is shown on the sculptural Penguin Foot base.

 

Lamp of the Week: 22" Peony

 

With its large, showy blooms, the peony has over 40 varieties whose flowers vary from a single row of petals to deeply ruffled blossoms. Known in Eastern cultures as "the flower of riches and honor", the peony is a favorite Tiffany floral motif. Peony flowers come in a variety of colors giving the lamp artist free reign to showcase spectacular flower glass. This richly toned 22" Peony shade was created as a showroom piece in 2011 and is now in a private local collection. The rich amber background gives a backdrop of sunny warmth to the richly colored flowers that cover the shade. The shade is shown on the beautifully detailed Twisted Vine base (24.5" tall).

 

This Week at the Studio

This past week was a busy one at Century Studios and as usual, we had several projects running concurrently. We completed a 10 Light Lily Pad base for a client. This elaborate base is specific to the 18" Flowering Lotus shade.

We also made significant progress on an 18" Tulip shade for a client. Bill Campbell is shown transferring the foiled pieces onto the lamp form so the shade can be soldered together. We will show the completed lamp in an upcoming post.

 

Lamp of the Week: 16" Tulip Variations

During the course of their production, Tiffany Studios' lamp designers occasionally made adjustments to shade patterns. A good example of this is the 16" Tulip and 16" Tulip Field shades. At a passing glance, the two shades appear to have the same design, but the Tulip Field has a denser cluster of flowers at the top of the shade with almost no sky showing. It can be assumed that the pattern was simplified after its initial design to ease production. At Century Studios, we offer both versions. The Tulip Field shade, shown on the sculptural Bell Pepper base, was created as a showroom piece in 2010 and is now in a private collection. The airy Tulip shade, shown on the Small Stick base was commissioned in 2002 by a client.