Daylight savings has arrived
and homes are in need of more light. With many different choices to illuminate
interior spaces, the Tiffany lamp has always been a desirable addition to any
living space.
The name of these lamps
originate with Louis Comfort Tiffany, the eldest son of Charles Louis Tiffany,
founder of Tiffany’s, the renown silver and jewelry company. Instead of
following in the family business, Louis chose to pursue his passion for art. He
pursued an illustrious career demonstrating a multitude of talents as a
painter, photographer and craftsman, but is best known for his work in stained
glass.
In the 1870s, he began his
studies in glass and mosaics. By the end of the century, using opalescent glass
in varying colors and textures, the name Tiffany was synonymous with
beautifully designed stain glass creations. Initially, most of the Tiffany
Company’s production was focused on making stained glass windows. Inspired by
Thomas Edison’s new invention the incandescent filament light bulb, Tiffany
used his skills to illuminate homes with a new art form. Using colored glass,
he created beautiful electric Tiffany lamps were—and still are—recognized for
their superior design and handcrafted details.
Most of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s
lamps were made between 1895 and 1920. However, not all Tiffany lamps have the
same pattern and as a result they are grouped into different design categories.
Favrile, a French word meaning handmade, defines the first and simplest shades
made by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Favrile pieces are generally inscribed with the
mark Favrile or the founder’s initials, L.C.T. Leaded glass shades created
using shapes such as squares, triangles and circles in a mosaic design are
called geometric. Most people are familiar with the Tiffany lamps that were
inspired by nature or the transition to flowers style. Some of the most
remembered designs including Peony, Wisteria, and Daffodil.
A little known fact is that the
guiding light behind many of Tiffany’s notorious botanical lampshades was Clara
Driscoll. After graduating from Western Reserve School of Design for Women in
Ohio, Driscoll migrated to New York City seeking a career in the growing field
of industrial arts. Upon arriving in New York, she enrolled in the Metropolitan
Museum Art School and then hired on at Tiffany Studios. Inspired by nature,
Driscoll shared a similar artistic vision to Louis Comfort Tiffany resulting in
her eventual promotion as the head of the Women’s Glass Cutting Department.
Driscoll and her female team designed and executed many of Tiffany’s
nature-inspired themes including the famous Dragonfly design.
Tiffany lamps became so popular
that many Tiffany-style lamps or reproductions were created. As a result, it is
often difficult for the untrained eye to detect differences that set apart
authentic Tiffany Lamps. In some cases, an unsigned Tiffany shade that is a
reproduction is coupled with the base of the signed Tiffany lamp and passed on
as being an authentic Tiffany. Buyers be wary, as the price between a signed
Tiffany lamp and a reproduction varies significantly. For example, a Tiffany
table lamp with a daffodil shade recently sold at auction for over $40,000,
while a table lamp in the style of Tiffany sold for $200. Quality and
craftsmanship differentiate an authentic Tiffany lamp from its reproduced
counterparts. Each piece of stained glass in a Tiffany lamp shade is hand
crafted with unique colors, shapes and sizes classifying the lighting device as
a true work of art.
• Colleen Boyle is an appraisal consultant for
Freeman’s, America’s oldest auction and appraisal company. She holds advanced
degrees in Art History and a diploma in French fine and Decorative Arts from
Christie’s, Paris. She has appraised art and antiques for private collectors
and corporations throughout the U.S. and regularly publishes articles about art
and collecting. (610) 470-5340 phone,cbfineart@gmail.com,www.freemansauction.com
About Colleen Boyle
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