lotsoflamps.com :: Tiffany Floor Lamps
Elegant, finely crafted Tiffany floor lamps. From name brand artisans such as Dale Tiffany, Z-Lite, Meyda and Quoizel. Our wide selection of Tiffany Floor Lamps will add distinction to any room you place it.
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Tiffany Floor Lamps Categories
Tiffany floor lamps
Tiffany floor lamps all have lampshades that are made from stained glass, in designs similar to those created in the last 19th century and early 20th century. People use the term Tiffany floor lamps to refer to almost any stained glass shade nowadays. But the term comes from Louis Comfort Tiffany, who began creating his signature lamps in 1985. They were considered a hugely important American contribution to the European Art Nouveau movement of the late 19th century. They were so important and are still so valuable, that just one piece has sold for over eight million dollars at auction.
Tiffany floor lamps remain hugely popular, and are available with many different types of bases, though originals always used brass. Reproductions can use almost any materials, ranging from cheap to high quality. Stained glass shades are the mark of a reproduction, though all don't use the same materials Tiffany used. Some are made from cheap and less beautiful materials, and should be avoided.
True reproduction Tiffany floor lamps start with a pattern drawn on heavy duty materials like cardboard of wood. Each different part of the design is numbered and labeled with a color right on the pattern itself. The pieces of glass are laid on top and traced, before the glass is cut into the proper shapes, ground and cleaned thoroughly. Copper foil is the only material Tiffany used to join the pieces, so the best reproductions of Tiffany floor lamps use only this. Then the pieces are soldered together and the entire creation is cleaned.
Original Tiffany floor lamps are rarely available today, adding to their high prices and value. Most who own them are wealthy art collectors and museums. Each piece was handcrafted, which contributes to the low number of the originals available. That none of them were mass-produced not only lowered the numbers, but contributed to the quality of each item. Though one pattern could be used repeatedly, it's now known how many times each was used to create a new pieces. So the discovery of Tiffany floor lamps is exciting for collectors who hope to find a Tiffany one-of-a-kind piece.
The first pieces were marked with the work Favrile, which can mean handcrafted or be a type of glass. So the lamps bearing that early mark are extremely valuable, commanding some of the highest prices for his items. Later, he dropped that mark and used his initials instead, marking each peace LCT. Appraisers use these marks to determine the approximate age of the piece.
Tiffany didn't simply sit down one day and decide to start creating Tiffany floor lamps. He worked for a New York firm designing stained glass and doing some painting work. The pieces of glass leftover at the end of the day inspired him. So he began using them to create lampshades. Soon he left the firm and began making lampshades on his own with the help of a few fellow artists.
Good reproduction Tiffany floor lamps should have that original appearance, and be manufactured in a style very similar to that used by Tiffany and his artisans. Some of his signature styles are the use of open work around the edging to hint at tree branches and shrubs. The heavy use of flowers, foliage, and insects like dragonflies and spiders are frequently found in good reproduction Tiffany floor lamps.
Geometric shapes are also heavily represented. Along with the spiders and dragonflies, most reproductions should stay true to the original shapes. Most were created as cones or globes. The globe style is so popular that some people mistake any globe shaped glass shade as a Tiffany these days.
And the colors can range from several shade of one color, to a multi-colored appearance. So if you want a quality reproduction, compare it carefully to the original. And be sure to ask how the Tiffany floor lamps are created.