Tiffany Lamps

Tiffany lamps are types of lamps that utilize many different kinds of glass shades, of which the most famous is the stained leaded lamp. Considered to be under the Art Nouveau movement, Victorian table lamps were first made around the year 1895.

Tiffany lamps through the years: finding a Tiffany lamp for you

Intricate and beautifully designed, lamps of this type are handmade by craftsmen, not machine or mass produced. For more than a hundred years, it was also believed that the original artist responsible for Tiffany lamps was Louis Comfort Tiffany. This was until Martin Eidelberg, a Rutgers professor, identified Clara Driscoll in 2007 as the master designer behind the beautiful lamps.

Knowing a Tiffany lamp

A Tiffany table lamp can be one of seven categories: Irregular Lower and Upper Border, Geometric, Favrile, Transition to Flowers, Flowered Globe, and Flowered Cone. The Irregular Lower and Upper Border lamps carry openwork crown edges that help give it the appearance of a branch, shrubbery, or tree, while the Geometric lamps feature geometric shapes and are mainly done by male craftsmen. Favrile lamps, on the other hand, are the first lamps made by Tiffany, his initials later on replacing the Favrile stamp used. The category Transition to Flowers is further subdivided into the Flowered Globes and Flowered Cones, all of which follow a natural, botanical design with the help of peacock feathers, butterflies, spiders with webs, dragonflies, and flowers. The only difference between Flowered Globes and Flowered Cones is that their lamp shapes follow the shape of a globe and a cone, respectively.

Lamp production

What also sets apart a Tiffany floor lamp and other Tiffany lamps from other kinds of lamps is that each one is produced using what is known as the copper foil method. With the copper foil method, the pattern of a lamp is first drawn out on heavy cardboard. After that, the number and glass color corresponding to each piece of the pattern is written out. After patterns are drawn and labeled, glass pieces are laid over it to be traced. Once patterns are traced over the glass pieces, the pieces are cut and ground up to the desired shape. The cut and shaped pieces are then cleaned out in order for copper foil to be applied around the edges, with the copper foil solution used to make the pieces stick together. After the lamp pieces bond together, the edges are soldered to give the lamp pieces a firmer hold. After soldering, a Tiffany desk lamp is cleaned again to help bring out the beauty of the design.

Buying a Tiffany lamp

Since Tiffany lamps were produced, there have been a number of designs made. To ensure that you are able to pick out the best one for you, go with a seller that is offering  the most complete lineup of lamps you can find. Designs will encompass different kinds of lamp styles so going with a complete lineup will definitely cover as many lamp styles as possible for you. Tiffany lamps have their own character so choose one that will accentuate the room or property you are looking to furnish.