Lamp Shades | Tiffany Lamps

Tiffany Lamps

Tiffany lamps began life in 1895 as part of the Art Nouveau movement. Characterized by their strikingly beautiful stained glass lamp shades, all of the original Tiffany lamps were handmade by master craftsman. The designer of the Tiffany lamp was Louis Comfort Tiffany, a French interior designer who opened his own glass foundry and studio in order to construct the types of glass he wanted for his interior design business. Now renowned in the stained glass industry, Louis’ original Tiffany lamps from that era sell for huge amounts at auction.

Tiffany lamps are generally characterized by bright, luminescent colors and designs found in nature. Ranging from natural, botanical designs that include elements like flowers, dragonflies, butterflies, and peacock feather to broad geometric shapes like rectangles, squares, ovals and triangles, Tiffany lamps are in a class by themselves. They can be grouped by category into seven specific groups: Irregular Lower and Upper Border lamps, Favrile, Geometric, Transition to Flowers, Flowered Globe, and Flowered Cone lamps.

Today, the demand for the lamps far exceeds the supply available and the prices make them prohibitive for the average collector. At a recent auction, an original “Magnolia” design sold for $990,000 while a “Zinnia” reaped more than $1 million. Even smaller, less valuable lamps, like the “Wisteria” start at over $100,000. Interestingly, as the demand for these lamps skyrockets, the lamps themselves are passed from collector to collector via auction. What once sold for, say $1.1 million, may return to the auction a mere one year later and go for $4.6 million, like the “Lotus”.

Because of the outrageous prices that originals fetch today at auction, many would-be collectors have turned to reproductions instead. Reproductions, which are known as Tiffany style lamps, look just like the originals, often with the same designs and standards of quality. A Tiffany style lamp starts at a more affordable $500 and goes up to about $5,000. Manufactured by glass makers such as Bullseye, Oceana, Uroboros, Kokomo, and Stipple, these Tiffany reproductions can be purchased in upscale boutique lighting stores or on the Internet.

When decorating your room and considering a Tiffany lamp, concentrate on the color scheme to help you choose the perfect lamp. Often used as the focal point of the room it sits in, Tiffany lamps are not shrinking wallflowers. With their vibrant colors and unique designs, these lamps lend a quality to your décor that a regular, plainer lamp never could. It can bring out the colors found in your room or it can be the color in your room. Best suited for a traditional or antique setting, Tiffany lamps can look perfectly at home amongst the humblest furnishings or against a professionally decorated backdrop.

When purchasing a reproduction Tiffany lamp, there are several things of which to be aware. Sub-par Tiffany lamp reproductions are sometimes made from plastic, which doesn’t emit the amount of light a true Tiffany is meant to emit. And, they can have a copper-plated rather than a brass base. Also, they are usually made from pieces of glass glued together rather than soldered together with copper. The glass itself will look dull and washed out, and won’t light up the room the way a real Tiffany will. Look for reproductions made with high quality stained glass that can shine even when not lit. Good Tiffany lamp shades are smooth in texture and have a pattern that can be seen all the way through.

Tiffany lamps are available in just about every style imaginable. From Tiffany table lamps to Tiffany floor lamps and everything in between, Tiffany lamps can adorn every room of your house, if you so desire. Available in hanging lamps, chandeliers, outdoor lighting, wall sconces, billiard table lighting, and torchieres, the possibilities are endless. A Tiffany lamp is a classic design that has become a distinguished art form. The blending of classical motifs with new techniques has created a masterpiece seldom found in interior design.

Below you will find a selection of beautiful Tiffany style lamps. If you would like to see more you will find a huge selection with some great discounts HERE.

Yellow Dragonfly Tiffany Style Table Lamp

Yellow Dragonfly Tiffany Style Table Lamp (CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS)

 

The “Yellow Dragonfly” Tiffany style lamp is low in price for such a quality lamp and looks beautiful. It features a bronze finish base and hand assembled stained glass shade. Elements on the shade include yellow stained glass dragonflies against a background of blues, greens, yellows, and reds. Two pull chains and an elegant finial on the top make this reproduction look similar to original Tiffany dragonfly lamps. Click here for more details.
Tiffany-style Dragonfly Red & Purple Torchiere Lamp

Tiffany-style Dragonfly Red & Purple Torchiere Lamp (CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS)

 

Tiffany floor lamps are both beautiful and useful. This Tiffany Style Dragonfly Torchiere in purple, green and amber has a metallic base and step on switch. It is made of more than 200 cut glass pieces, each wrapped around copper foil soldered together. It is all those pieces which make Tiffany lamp shades and lamps into works of art that look much more expensive than they are. Click here for more details.

 

 

Stylish table lamp in Tiffany style with a primarly pink, purple, and green Stained glass shade and zinc-alloy base. Enjoy Tiffany style in your home without needing a fortune to buy an antique Tiffany lamp. Click here for more information.

 
Tiffany Style Stained Glass Table Desk Lamp Wisteria

Tiffany Style Stained Glass Table Desk Lamp Wisteria (CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS)
Tiffany Style Rose Tree Table Lamp

Tiffany Style Rose Tree Table Lamp (CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS)

 

This beautiful Tiffany style “Rose Tree” table lamp brings out shades of orange, yellow, blue, purple, and green sitting atop a base designed to look like a withered tree trunk. These Tiffany style table lamps are reminiscent of the original Irregular Upper and Lower Border designs. Click here for more information.

 

 

This Tiffany orange butterfly light is part of a collection of butterfly lamps by well-know and respected lighting company Quoizel. Click here for more details of this and the other lamps.

 
Quoizel Orange Butterfly Tiffany Accent Lamp

Quoizel Orange Butterfly Tiffany Accent Lamp (CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS)
Tiffany Style Banker Butterfly Desk Lamp

Tiffany Style Banker Butterfly Desk Lamp (CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS)

 

An expensive looking lamp that is very reasonable in price! Reviewers say that this Tiffany stle banker’s lamp is slightly different shade to the main picture so read reviews before buying. You can see them and get more details here.

 

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2 Responses to “Tiffany Lamps”

  1. Mary on December 26th, 2010 4:31 am

    I have acquired a cat base lotus style green color table lamp.. it looks like the tiffany ones but it says made in china at the bottom.. I cant find a picture of it anywhere. All I have seen is the origianl one in a blue and nile green shade.. Would you know anything about this one? I think its most likely a fake.. reproduction? Thanks, Mary

  2. Jan on December 27th, 2010 6:02 am

    Hi Mary

    Anything stamped “Made in China” is definitely a reproduction which does not mean that it has no value. Some of the reproductions are beautiful examples of stained glass art or brilliant copies of original Tiffany lamps. I hope your Tiffany style lamp looks good in your home and then it will give you as much pleasure as the real thing without worrying about the huge cost of insuring an original Tiffany lamp.

    Jan

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