From the Century Studios Archives - 25" Mandarin Lotus 2017

 

The 25" Mandarin Lotus is a symmetrically complex shade with an undulating accordion pleat surface. Tiffany Studios fashioned the shade to represent a large lotus leaf, with each lead line representing a vein in the leaf. Each of the 24 peaked ribs of the shade have a hand applied copper wire which accentuates the veining. The wires bisect seven times on their path from the top of the shade to the outer border. The rim of the shade is finished with a half round copper wire, providing additional strength to the shade.  

The Mandarin Lotus base (also called the Ribbed Lotus base) represents the slender stalks that support the large leaves, and was designed by Tiffany Studios specifically for this shade. We created both the shade and bronze base for this lamp. This lamp was commissioned by a West Coast client in 2017.

14" Daffodil

New to our studio showroom is this 14" Daffodil lamp. 

Daffodils are one of the earliest flowers to bloom in springtime. Bright and showy, daffodils were also Louis Comfort Tiffany's favorite flower and it comes as no surprise that there are many Tiffany daffodil shades in multiple sizes and shapes. The 14" Daffodil is the smallest of the various daffodil shade designs we create. 

For this shade, sun dappled yellow and amber flowers are surrounded by fresh spring greens. A light blue morning sky peaks through the flowers at the top of the shade. The shade is shown on the petite Tree Trunk base (16" tall). This lamp is currently available for purchase from our studio showroom.

Mermaid w/Nautilus Lamp

Mermaids, the legendary half human/half aquatic creatures, have appeared in folklore and inspired artists of every civilization for thousands of years. The Mermaid w/Nautilus Shell is a unique Tiffany Studios lamp design. The cast bronze mermaid rises out of a churning sea carrying a lighted nautilus shell above her head. The mermaid base was sculpted by artist Louis Gudebrod, the only lamp base artist credited by Tiffany Studios. 

The stained glass nautilus shell is a complicated shade design that curls into itself. When laid flat, the design resembles the horns of a ram. The process of transforming the flat pattern pieces into a three dimensional shade is as painstaking as it looks. Our client requested the shade to have a undersea look to the glass color, and we used a mossy green and white mix that worked perfectly.

The shade is built on a wooden form in interlocking sections which are carefully assembled to create the finished shell (this production photo is from an example created at our studio in 2009). 

The lighting for the shade must be carefully created and positioned inside the small interior of the shell. This lamp was commissioned by a client in North Carolina.

From the Century Studios Archives - 20" Dragonfly 2014

The multicolored background of this 20" Dragonfly shade was created from a five color, granite textured glass. The mix of red, yellow, blue, green, and gold pink gives the shade a warm, fiery glow which is accented by the blue toned border rows and red jewels that encrust the upper surface of the shade. The blue bodied dragonflies with light green filigreed wings skim the surface of the shade. This shade, shown on the distinctive Twisted Vine base was commissioned by a client in Chicago in 2014.

 

From the Century Studios Archives - 16" Poppy 2013

The 16" Poppy is one of the most popular Tiffany shade patterns. The elegant flowers are tastefully presented on a cone shape, and the addition of filigrees in the leaves and flower centers give an added dimension to the shade. This example, created in 2013 for a client in San Francisco, has a vibrant color palette that is warm and inviting. The richly color flowers are set against an amber background, while the green leaves have hints of red throughout. The shade is shown on the tall Grooved base.