What are Tiffany Style Lamps? Tiffany Lamps History and Styles

Page 1

Tiffany lamps are often considered to be one of the most luxurious and exclusive pieces of lighting available. This is due to the rarity of the materials used and the fact that authentic Tiffany lamps have not been made in decades. What you see sold today are Tiffany Style Lamps, which are reproductions of this style. That doesn’t mean they aren’t high quality, just that they are not made by the original manufacturer. Tiffany lamps are hand crafted of glass mosaic tiles which are arranged in a pattern to form a shade. A Tiffany shade has hundreds of stained glass pieces in a variety of colors. They’re cobbled together to form intricate designs such as birds, flowers, and dragonflies. Styles that came a little later incorporated geometric and abstract designs . Some of the most popular ealy designs were birds, dragonflies, and flowers. More modern styles have geometric or abstract design, but there are really countless options these days. LOUIS COMFORT TIFFANY IN 1908

History of the Tiffany Lamp This type of lamp is often referred to as the “Tiffany Lamp” because it was created by the Louis Comfort Tiffany Company. Louis Comfort Tiffany was an artist and designer first and foremost. He really valued the importance of color and light in architecture and decoration. He was also the son of the founder of the Tiffany Jewelry company. It seems like artistry runs in the family! Louis became interested in glassmaking in the 1870’s. His father’s financing helped him start a glassmaking company with three other artists. His company began with designing interiors for the high society of New York. Eventually he found himself designing the Mark Twain House. He also revamped the White House for President Chester Arthur, and far beyond glassmaking.


After a while Tiffany decided to focus his attention on glass, and he created a new company to do this. The Tiffany Studios, as it was eventually named, focused on the stained glass that he preferred to work work. The iridescent art glass that he created was trademarked as Favrile Glass. By the late 1800’s he had a factory in Queens, and started making his first lamps. At it’s peak there were more than 300 artisans and craftspeople. This includes the women who developed the floral patterns that we know and love. See Dragonfly Tiffany Lamps here

The First Tiffany Lamps on the Market Before the lamps were created though, he was focused on stained glass windows. In 1883, Louis Comfort Tiffany displated the stained glass windows at the World’s Columbian Exposition, in Chicago. The windows were made from Tiffany glass, the colored glass that he had been experimenting with for decades. This was his trademarked Favrile glass that was to later be used to fashion his Tiffany lamps. In considering what to make for his next project, he noted that the exposition’s visitors would see his windows only from a distance and would not know they were made of glass. He reasoned that if he could create a lamp that was illuminated from within by natural light rather than an electric bulb it would produce a warm glow and mimic the effect of looking at stained-glass windows close up. After working with this creation, he looked at bringing this style into decor items. However, the Tiffany stained glass shade that we know was first designed by one of his employees by the name of Clara Driscoll. Clara continued to be the primary designer of these increasingly popular lamps. The first Tiffany Lamp was sold in 1902, and shortly after the became popular as part of the Art Nouveau design aesthetic that defined the early part of the 20th century.


How was the original Tiffany Lamp Shade Made? The original lamps were handmade by skilled designers and craftspeople in the design studio. The first lamp was made around 1893, and the last in 1930 when the studio closed.

Step 1 The creation of the lamps was an intensive process that required a lot of planning, practice, and patience. First a watercolor sketch was made of the proposed design, and if approved, the design was reproduced onto a 3d plaster mold. It was then transferred to a wooden mold, and then patterns created with firm cardboard like paper, as guides for cutting the glass.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BYU.EDU


Step 2 The craftsperson chose each piece of glass from the larger sheet and decided where to place in the pattern. When the pattern was set, the sheet was given to another artisan who cut the scored glass with a glass cutter to break each piece to match the pattern. When all pieces were selected and cut the edges of each piece of glass were wrapped in copper foil with an overlap on back and front. Each of the wrapped pieces were then individually placed onto the mold, followed by the copper foiled edges being soldered together to hold each of the glass pieces in place.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BYE.EDU

Step 3 When all pieces were assembled it was time to take the shade out of the mold so that the solder could be applied to the copper foil that was on the inside. Brass rings were also soldered onto the copper foil of the edges. Finally, a patina was applied, usually a gold or bronze finish, to cover the lines of silver solder.


PHOTO COURTESY OF BYE.EDU

What are Tiffany Style Lamps? The last of the original Tiffany Lamps was created until 1930 when the Tiffany Studios shut down. The lamps in this style that you see created nowadays are what is called “Tiffany Style Lamps”. This just means that they are made in the same style as the real ones. They may or may not be handmade, and the price generally reflects this. Even mass produced ones can still be exquisite pieces of art that are beautiful as well as functional. They evoke the style of the early 1900’s art deco period that is still popular even now.


Why do Tiffany Lamps Feel Like Plastic? This is due to the process of creating the Tiffany Lamps. Each piece of stained glass is wrapped in a piece of paper, which is then covered in copper foil. Sometimes when you tap the glass, it can sound like plastic, but it’s not.

Tiffany Lighting in the Modern Home The types of Tiffany lighting in the modern home have grown significantly over the years. These days you can not only find Tiffany table lamps, you can buy Tiffany floor lamps, chandeliers, pendants, desk lights, mosaic art panels made with Favrile Glass, Tiffany ceiling fixtures, and more. See the types of Tiffany Lighting fixtures available on Amazon


What are different designs of Tiffany Style Lamps?

Dragonfly Tiffany Style Lamp on Amazon The original designs reminded one of nature and incorporated elements such as flowers, birds, dragonflies, wisteria, turtles, daffodils, poppies, and butterflies. As the Art Nouveau movement came into full swing we saw more geometric and abstract designs. Today, Tiffany Style lamps with floral motifs and vibrant colors are the most popular and in demand. The oriental style Tiffany Poppy lamp is one of these, as well as the flowing floral Daffodil lamp, Dragonfly lamp and Wisteria lamp.


The geometric and abstract designs are often used on mission style lamps for an art deco look that has stood the test of time. And sometimes these styles are mixed, such as with the “transition to flowers” style of shade, with the top portion as geometric designs which fade into a fall of flowers. These days you can buy many types of Tiffany Style lamps, such as table lamps, floor lamps, desk lamps, and accent lamps. Here are some reviews of Tiffany Style Dragonfly Lamps

The Timelessness Tiffany Lamp

of

the

Both Favrile glass and Tiffany lamps were among the most coveted items in a proper home. Soon they achieved widespread popularity in the United States and in Europe. And, Tiffany’s firm didn’t just focus on lighting. They also their way into jewelry and pottery as you may well know. The Tiffany style has not gone out of fashion, and has been making a resurgence in modern years. Original Tiffany lamps are collectors items that fetch large sums. Many modern companies continue the tradition of designing and manufacturing exquisite glass glass Tiffany lighting fixtures.


See on Amazon

See the Dale Tiffany Collection of Modern Lamps and Favrile art on Amazon We’re grateful for Louis Comfort Tiffany’s huge contribution to the aesthetics of the 20th century. It’s nice to understand the history of Tiffany lamps. However, you don’t need to be an art historian to appreciate their beauty and uniqueness. Tiffany lighting brings a gr*acious charm and character to modern homes, and that never goes out of style.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.