Turtleback Table Lantern

This Turtleback Table Lantern was recently completed for a client in Texas. The golden orange turtleback tiles give the piece a warm glow. The addition of swirls in the upper portion of the lantern adds a touch of whimsy to the piece.

Lamp of the Week: 14" Dragonfly

The warm amber tones of this 14" Dragonfly shade are accented by the cranberry colored dragonfly wings and multicolored jewels in the background. Commissioned in 2014 by a West Cost client, this shade is shown on the small Tree Trunk base.

Century Studios Lamp Bases

This past week began with a trip to the foundry to drop off waxes and pick up completed bronze lamp base castings. We spent the week completing the final work on the unfinished castings and fitting each base with the appropriate light cluster. All the parts were then patinated and the bases were wired. The completed bases shown are for upcoming commission projects. To see the full range of reproduction lamp bases we create, visit the Gallery section of our website.

Lamp of the Week:

The 25" Mandarin Lotus is a uniquely shaped Tiffany shade. Many Tiffany lamp designs were inspired by water plants, and this pattern emulates the large round leaves of the lotus plant. The pattern of the lead lines takes its cues from the veining in the leaves, and the three dimensional accordion pleat surface brings the pattern to life. For this shade a rich amber toned glass subtly shifts to a pale butter yellow at the lower edge through the careful modulation of glass density and color. The shade is shown on the elegant Artichoke Trumpet base (28" tall version with 6 lights). This lamp was commissioned was by a local client in 2016.

18" Tulip, Part 2

Progress continued on the 18" Tulip shade. With the layout complete and all the pieces foiled, Bill Campbell transferred the lamp onto the lamp form for soldering. 

Our lamp forms are made of Fiberglas and are coated with a tacky beeswax mixture we make at the studio. The wax holds the pieces in place for soldering.

Once transferred, Irwin Terry began soldering the shade. When the outside of the shade was completely soldered, the form was heated to melt the wax and the shade was removed from the lamp form. The soldering complete and the bottom rim added, the shade was cleaned and a Tiffany verdigris patina was applied to the lead lines to finish the piece.

This boldly colored shade has a mix of rich green leaves and red tulips set against a blue sky. The sky color is reflected in the purple and blue of the ground at the bottom.

To complete the lamp, the shade was mated with the elegant Decorated Trumpet base (23" tall). This lamp was commissioned by a client in Washington state.
 

Lamp of the Week: 22" Dragonfly

The 22" Dragonfly is one of Tiffany Studios signature shade designs. Often referred to as the 22" Drophead Dragonfly because of its irregular lower border of dragonflies, this shade has something for everyone. The generously proportioned shade is studded with pressed glass "jewels" and the dragonflies have jeweled eyes and delicate filigreed wings.

Commissioned by a local client in 2007, the rich wine colored glass is the perfect backdrop for the multi-colored jewels. The dragonflies have teal colored bodies with blue/purple wings. The shade is shown on the elegant Large Lion's Foot base. The base is 28" tall and telescopes to become taller. The distinctive Pigtail Cap lends a touch of whimsy to the piece.

Studio Hours and Lamp of the Week: 28" Easter Lily

Century Studios will be closed Friday April 7 through Monday April 10. We will resume regular business hours on Tuesday April 11.

The 28" Easter Lily is a Century Studios original shade design which was conceived by Bill Campbell. To bring this highly detailed pattern to life, every type of art glass was employed, including streaky, ring mottle, rippled, fibroid, drapery, and fracture/streamer. 

The glasses were painstakingly chosen and the colors blended to create an impressionistic view of a garden of lilies in full bloom. This stunning shade was commissioned in 2016 by a client in Illinois and is in their private collection.

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Pair of Turtleback Shades

We recently completed a matching pair of 16" Turtleback shades for a client in North Carolina. Each turtleback tile in the decorative band has been cut, faceted and fit by hand from large 4" x 6" turtleback tiles. The result is that each of the two shades will have their own personality, even though they are a matched pair.