Hello!
I receive dozens of emails and several phone calls weekly from people who go to my Antique Tiffany Lamps web site or go to the Tiffany Studios lamps section on the Fine Art Investments web site. Of those who fill out the simple “Lamp Evaluation Form” or one of the other short forms, probably 70% of them state that their lamp is unsigned, or they ask me how to tell if they have an “authentic” Tiffany Studios lamp or not. Maybe these unsure people lack the time to read the main sections of the web site or maybe I am not clear enough. The answer to that question is shown and described on the web site. I’ll elaborate more here, but I’ll also refer you to the following pages and links on the Fine Art Investments web site which are there to help you and also to help me determine if what you have is an authentic Tiffany Studios lamp:
In addition to the pages and images on the pages above, and to repeat some things that I have written and that are basic facts about Tiffany lamps of the hanging, desk, table lamp or floor lamp styles (leaded shades) I will add these things that are in my experience reliable guidelines to follow when assessing what you have or do not have:
- The majority of all authentic Tiffany Studios leaded glass lamp shades (regardless of whether they are hanging shades, table lamps, desk lamps or floor lamps) are "stamp signed" into the bottom inner metal shade rim. It will say "TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK," sometimes with a number beside that to the right. It will be in small, all capital “block” font letters. True, some shades are not signed, but the majority of them most commonly found are signed. There are slight variations to how the rim signature looks - it can be on a small bronze "tag" soldered to the rim also, but it will always say, "TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK." Also it's good to remember that even if signed, unless you have owned the shade/lamp since before about 1963, it could be a very good forgery. Only an expert can tell for certain if it is authentic. I can tell if you send me very clear, well lighted digital photos of the lamp and the signature.
- If is a "lily" light shaded desk, table or floor lamp or unleaded dome shaped, "cased glass" iridescent style shade, the signature will be etched into the top of the narrow neck of the shade rim, (where it goes up into the socket) with the initials "L.C.T." or "L.C.T. Favrile."
- All of Tiffany's leaded lamp bases are made of a bronze "metalware" alloy. A very few leaded shade lamps have a glass base, but these are rare. Also, a few were made from art pottery. The 'bronze' bases (in brown color or sometimes gold) will have a solid plate on the bottom of the base, (exception being a few bases with tripod or individual curved feet, in which case the same signature will usually be on the bottom of one of the feet, where it sits on a table or floor. It will likewise say “TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK,” also with a number stamped below that signature usually. If it says “Dale Tiffany” or has numbers only, or has any other manufacturer’s name, “Made in Mexico,” or things of that nature, the base certainly is not by Tiffany Studios. There are 1-2 other variations or "looks" to these base signatures. But it will always say "TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK" in all capital block letters.
More to come...
Dennis
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