Tiffany Table Lamps

All About Tiffany Lamps   

Tiffany lamps were an element of the Art Nouveau Movement. The lamps feature different kinds of glass shades. The stained, lead lamp was probably the most famous.   

The Tiffany lamp was first produced around 1895. The lamps had a stunning design and complexity, and each was created by expert craftsmen instead of machines and mass production. For over one hundred years, it was thought to be Louis Comfort Tiffany who was the designer.  

However in 2007 little known artist, Clara Driscoll was recognized as the master designer of Tiffany Studios’ most valuable and creative lamps. Tiffany actually got his start by having a  New York ,interior design firm at which he was the designer of stained glass windows.  

There are seven different categories into which the majority of these extraordinary lamps can be grouped. Irregular Upper and Lower Border are lamps that have a crown edge that simulate trees, branches, or shrubbery. The Favrile category is the first lamp made with the Tiffany label. Initially the lamps had the initials LTC on them, but this was changed to the Favrile stamp. This collection was done by male craftsmen who used shapes like squares, triangles, rectangles, and ovals to make patterns for the lamps.  

The Transition to Flowers category is broken down into Flowered Cone and Globe lamp groups. These lamps all follow either themes about nature or botanical themes. They illustrate such figures as dragonflies, flowers and spiders in addition to webs, peacock feathers, and butterflies. The difference in the two small groups is the lamp shades and the globe and cone elements.     

Although the lamps are grouped into different categories, they are all made using the Copper Foil Method. The lamp’s pattern is drawn on a piece of heavy cardboard. After it has been drawn and labeled, the glass is placed on it and traced. When the pattern has been traced on the glass, the pieces are cut and ground to the proper shape. The pieces are then cleaned so that the edges can be covered with the copper foil which will hold the pieces together. When the lamp is placed appropriately and completely bonded, the edges have to be soldered to hold them together firmly. After that, the lamp is cleaned, and its beauty is revealed.