Lotus leaf lamp

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONThis is a Tiffany bronze lamp with a leaded stained glass shade. Notice how the shade is reminiscent of lotus leaves. WHERE WAS IT MADE?Tiffany glass was made at the Tiffany Glass Furnaces in Corona, located in Queens, New York.WHO WAS THE ARTIST?Louis Comfort Tiffany was the eldest son of Charles L. Tiffany, founder of Tiffany & Company, the New York jeweler. Tiffany was trained as a painter, studying with both George Inness and Samuel Coleman in New York and Leon Bailly in Paris. He eventually turned his attention to decorative arts and began experimenting with glass-making techniques in 1875. After success with stained glass windows and mosaics, Tiffany established the Tiffany Glass Company in 1885 and began devoting production to one-of-a-kind blown glass art objects. He soon became one of America’s most prolific designers, providing furniture, wallcoverings, textiles, jewelry and glass to some of society’s most important citizens.HOW WAS IT MADE?Each Tiffany lampshade was assembled on a solid wooden form on which the design was inscribed and the pieces of glass were arranged. Brass patterns were used as guides to cut pieces of glass that were carefully selected from larger sheets. Each small piece was then wrapped in copper foil and placed on the mold. The copper-foiled edges were then soldered in place. The shades varied depending on palette and the glass used to create them. There were multiples of lampshades, but the carefully chosen pieces of glass used to create each one made them unique. Even the bases were interchangeable so that each piece could adapt to the client’s taste.HOW WAS IT USED?Although the light bulb was patented in 1879, electricity was not widely available until after the turn of the century and even then, only wealthier families were able to afford it. Tiffany’s earliest lamps were fueled by kerosene. As they became more popular, Tiffany offered his clients the option of lamps fueled by electricity or kerosene.WHY DOES IT LOOK LIKE THIS?The flowing, organic lines and natural motifs of Tiffany’s glassware are characteristic of the Art Nouveau style popular in Western Europe and the United States from 1880 until World War I. Can you see how the lampshade was designed to resemble lotus leaves that have been artfully arranged, one on top of the other? It was a popular design, made around 1915.