Authentic Tiffany Lamps - Antique and Authentic, Fake, Restored and "One of A Kind."

Antique Tiffany lamps which are authentic Tiffany lamps (made by Tiffany Studios between about 1898-1928) come in many varieties. When they are authentic, without restoration and in excellent condition, that is the kind a collector wants to seek out.

Of course you don't want a fake or forged lamp. I personally define a fake as an unsigned "wannabe Tiffany" that is perhaps old, and "Tiffany style" but which was not made by Tiffany Studios. I define "forged" as a lamp that looks like a decent to very good example of a lamp Tiffany Studios, but which has non original Tiffany Studios signature marks on the shade, and or the base. These are seen on many lamps offered for sale since the early 1960's. They are sometimes made with old die stamps, but often made from newer stamps that usually not of the same quality.

Below is a great example of an authentic, antique Tiffany lamp that might not be a "good "buy," cost wise, since it is a rare lamp that commanded a high price in competitive bidding at auction, but it is certainly nice to look at for many collectors. It is a rare Tiffany "Pink Lotus" pattern lamp. It sold at Christie's Auction House in December 2013 for $2.8 million.

When considering buying an authentic Tiffany lamp, learn to look closely for prior restorations or other things not right, such as:

1. Traces of glue (which is sometimes put in pane cracks to pull them together or make them not show as easily).
2. Glass colors or textures that do not match or look right. 
3. Sloppy solder spots or uneven soldering inside the shade usually, whereas the rest of the shade's soldering is smooth and even. 
4. Unusual green or "froggy" green patination to the shade solder and other metal, often used by forgers in a sloppy attempt to simulate an old patina; but they go overboard.
5. Look at the signature marks on both shade and base. The simple rule is that TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK is in all capital plain letters and no lower case letters at all. Also important on shade and base signatures is that the tops of the letters are in good alignment, meaning no crooked letters an no "up and down" letters. If the signature is on a curved spot or rolled edge, it will be of course not as clean and precise. Look at other things in those cases, including the base signature if the lamp has a base.

Above is a good example of a rather poorly forged Tiffany Studios mark, although it could fool many people. Note both the use of upper and lower case letters and the uneven alignment of the numbers below the signature mark.

About "one of a kind" and "prototype" Tiffany lamps

I receive calls and view emailed photos at least a half dozen times a year from people who claim they have an authentic Tiffany lamp but because it was so early, or "one of a kind" or a "prototype," there are no markings at all, and usually it does not even look anything like an authentic Tiffany Studios lamp. Some of the lamps I have seen have even had wooden bases! If someone knows better, please feel free to prove it, but I don't recall even being told by a reliable source or having read that Tiffany ever had prototypes that survived or that he did "one of a kind" lamps. 

Certainly the "Cobweb" and "Bat" lamps are very, very rare. But even they were not "one of a kind." When looking to buy beware of stories that use the terms "one of a kind" or "prototype." Perhaps someday someone will find at a garage sale or thrift store a "one of a kind" lamp that is determined by the world's experts to be a prototype of "one of a kind."  If so, I hope to be there at the same time, so as to purchase the undiscovered original Rembrandt or Pollock painting that is in the same sale.

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Dennis

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Antique Tiffany Lamp Values: Authentic Tiffany Lamp Values Vary Greatly

Most people who collect antiques or read antique publications are aware that an authentic Tiffany lamp is not something one can easily buy for a few hundred dollars unless a person gets extremely lucky, or unless something is wrong with the lamp or shade, such as condition, prior restorations or something else.

Unlike other areas of antiques and collectibles, where there might be two or three or four styles or "grades" (as in "average," better, best and rare examples), genuine Tiffany lamps can be seen in literally hundreds of styles, sizes, materials, shapes and colors, all of which determine their fair market value. Keep in mind that buying at an auction or privately can be much less expensive than if you buy from a large, fancy gallery which has high overhead and other costs.

Someone wanting to start collecting authentic Tiffany Studios lamps can actually buy something like an all glass small "candle stick" lamp as pictured below. The pair of lovely authentic Tiffany Studios all glass 14 inch high lamps sold at Christie's Auction House in New York in 2011 for just a little over $8000. for the pair! While that is not as inexpensive as many antiques, the cost is well within what many collectors will pay for a nice antique piece of furniture, tall case clock, large antique oriental rug, oil painting, antique French doll and many other things. Below are the two lamps as photographed for the Christie's sale:

The next step up the value ladder as far as Tiffany Studios lamp value would be the desk lamp with a cased glass "Favrile" shade. They can range from 6 inches in diameter to about 10 inches, for the desk style lamps.The two commonly found styles are plain base and "counterbalance" base, which adds to the value and cost at a private sale or auction. These are very commonly found and the glass shades are found in colors of green, gold/amber and blue.

This photo above shows a "counter balance" desk lamp with a green glass "Favrile" shade. The shades are iridescent when not lighted and change color when lighted. These commonly sell now in the more common gold and green colored 6-10 inch shade sizes for between $6000-$9,500. at auction.

Above is a common example of a dome shaped "Favrile" shade in a dimple "harp" base. The price range for these in green and gold shades (unlighted color) is usually in the $3,200-$5,000 range at auction these days. If the shade color is in the more rare and very desirable blue color, the value can easily double.

Next in value come the geometric design shades with plain (nothing fancy) glass. They come in hanging shades and those with a table or floor base. Those with bases will cost more, assuming the shades are similar in value. I will only show the table examples with bases in this blog. They usually are in green or gold/amber colored glass colors. The common shade sizes are 16-20 inches. Assuming the base is not very rare and uncommonly valuable, the geometric lamps can be bought between about $8000-$25,000 at auctions, depending on the shade diameter, how rich the colors are and the base style.  See one example below.

The plain green geometric 18 inch shade on a canister or urn shaped base above will usually sell in the $14,000-$19,000 price range at auction.

One step above we see the floral shaded lamps. The prices start to jump up here, because the pattern, the richness or the glass colors, glass type, and the base style, will make for a wide swing in prices, even when comparing several lamps with the same pattern in the shade. Excluding the rarest patterns and very expensive bases, lamps like tulip, daffodil, peony, dogwood and poppy will sell in the $40,000-$100,000+ price range, depending on shade size, glass colors and style of the base. It's quite a wide price range, but as I stated above, simply a change in glass color can double the value (or more) of a lamp, compared to another lamp with the same pattern.

Above is a nice red "Poppy" table lamp with a 20 inch shade, which has a more expensive "twisted vine" base. It sold for $135,750 in 2013. Without the fancy base the price would probably have been closer to $100,000. The "Poppy" pattern is very popular among collectors.

And while there are many lamps in the $50,000-$75,000 price range in dragonfly, floral and other patterns, I'll skip to the very high end of the lamps, and show a rare patterned lamp which sold recently.

The very rare Tiffany Studios "Snowball" pattern table lamp above brought a very healthy $459,750 at auction at Christie's New York auction house in June 2013. Prices like this are rare, and as illustrated above, there are many very lovely authentic Tiffany Studios lamps available to collectors for $50,000 and under. As with collecting or buying anything else, quality and rarity will cost more. An individual who wants a Tiffany Studios lamp in their antique collection can still have as seen above, a nice example for between $6,000-$40,000.

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Antique Tiffany Lamps and Authentic Tiffany Lamps Are Not Often The Same Thing

After another month of receiving phone calls, emailed forms and photos in email from people who have found my web site and who believe that just because the lamp they have is 60-90 years old and might even look somewhat like the lamps that Tiffany Studios made between and about 1898-1928, I am going to explain the difference again. So many people live with what they have been told by family or friends is an authentic Tiffany lamp, and very valuable. Unfortunately, this is often not the case.

Using the term "antique" Tiffany Lamp to most people (not knowledgeable collectors) means an old table, hanging, floor, desk or table type shade or lamp, with a base which has leaded, colored or otherwise "stained" glass in it.  To most people, it implies the lamp is authentic and valuable.This is not often accurate. There are some simple criteria a lamp of any pattern or style must meet to be a true, authentic Tiffany lamp. All the rest of the "antique Tiffany lamps" floating around the world are just "Tiffany style" lamps, and some are not at all close to looking like what Tiffany Studios ever created.

So, to be clear, to be an authentic Tiffany lamp, a shade or lamp with a base needs to have at a minimum, the following:

1. It has to have been made between the years 1898-1928, when Tiffany was in business and had a company making his lamps. While there were no doubt lamps still sold after 1930 that were "left over inventory," anything bought "new" in a store after about 1935 are not likely to be authentic Tiffany lamps unless they meet the rest of the criteria below.

2. If it is a lamp with a base, the bottom of the base plate should be stamp signed, "Tiffany Studios New York," (in all capital, non serif letters), almost always with a model number below that, or marked "Tiffany Furnaces" instead of "Tiffany Studios." There are rare exceptions to this rule, but they are quite rare. A very few bases were made of art pottery, but they will be also marked Tiffany Studios on the bottom of the art pottery base. A few the bases on the leaded glass shaded lamps were made of Tiffany glass, but it will be "etch signed" into the glass on the bottom, "L.C.T. Favrile."

3. While some shades are not signed, the vast majority of them are signed. It will likewise say, stamped into the lower inner metal rim edge of the shade, "TIFFANY STUDIOS, NEW YORK." Signed in all capital block letters as illustrated below. Occasionally, the model number of the shade will also be on a bronze tag to the right of the signature. See below photos of signatures on the bases, and photos of the shade rim signatures.

Above are two base signature marks. One signature also includes the "monogram" stamp Tiffany used for a very short time period. Both have the model number below the signature.

Above are three shade rim signature marks for authentic Tiffany lamp shades. All three also have the model number to the right of the signature mark, but this is not always there, and makes no difference to authenticity or to value.

No matter the pattern of the shade or base, and no matter what you have been told as to age, to be an authentic Tiffany Studios lamp, versus a lamp that might well have been made when Tiffany was active, but is not a Tiffany Studios lamp, the lamp shade and/or base must meet the three basic above criteria. 

Please be aware that regardless of what you are told, have read, or believe from family stories, dealers, auction houses, or anyone else who might have once sold or given the lamp you have to someone you know or to you, a marked lamp can still be a forgery. Very good, signed (using the same marks as above) forgeries of most patterns of Tiffany lamps have been made since the early 1960's - over 50 years! 

If the lamp you own is signed as shown above, and you know for certain it has been in your family or in your possession since before 1960, there should be little risk of it being a forgery. Nevertheless, always have it checked by a Tiffany expert to be 100% certain it is authentic, and not just...an "antique Tiffany lamp."

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Dennis

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Authentic Tiffany Lamps, Original Tiffany Lamps, Genuine Tiffany Lamps - Do Those Terms Mean The Same Thing?

The words authentic Tiffany lamp, original Tiffany lamp and genuine Tiffany lamp appear in many places - from ads in online auctions to estate sale ads, to antique auctions, to notes left by Grandma Smith to her family in her Will.

To be technical and honest about this, there is only one situation where these terms are both accurate and truthful:

When the lamp shade or shade and base involved were actually made by Tiffany Studios, New York between about 1898-1930.

When the lamp has not had the shade or the base swapped for a newer part, to help sell it or display it or anything else. It is fine to preserve what is left, and to say that is authentic and genuine and original Tiffany. But if 50% of a table, hanging or floor lamp is original, authentic and genuine, then only the original part of the lamp is "right" and should be called authentic, original and genuine.

Many authentic Tiffany lamp shades have fallen prey to stray children's tossed balls, careless housekeeping or other mishaps. In the worst cases, it renders the shade non reparable and worthless. In the luckiest cases the shade and/or the base can be fixed well, if done by an expert restoration person; but the cost will not be inexpensive.

I realize I have a strong bias. But when I see people selling new reproductions of Tiffany Studios lamps and using the words authentic, antique, genuine and original, it irritates me. It's false advertising. People who know no different continue to think that any leaded shade - hanging, table or floor lamp is an authentic Tiffany lamp like was only made between 1898-1930, because they don't know or read up on the history. If they did they would realize that if a "Tiffany" (style) lamp is being made today, it cannot possibly be an authentic, original or genuine Tiffany Studios lamp!

As long as there is ink in my keyboard, and as long as I am an appraiser and private broker and strong lover of the fascinating and beautiful authentic lamp creations of Louis Comfort Tiffany, I will continue to educate people, to expose false advertising, and to point out forgeries and grossly misrepresented lamps people offer the public in various ways to make as much money as they can. If this means my subscription to the "Online Auctions Secret Club" (I don't know if there actually is one, but it is possible) is revoked, fine! There are enough people being fooled and taken by false, misleading advertising in food, investment, auto, healthcare, and other industries. There is no need to also fool or scam folks by saying that a lamp is an authentic, original or genuine Tiffany lamp when it is a "knock off," fake, phony, or other kind of reproduction (no matter how well made or how attractive). Call a horse a horse. But please don't call it Secretariat.

If people don't have the money for an authentic, original Tiffany lamp (and they can be bought for about $3000. on up these days, depending on the size and the type) it's fine with me if they buy reproductions. I just do not want people who have or do not have the money to spend on an authentic Tiffany lamp to buy something they believe to be the "real deal" and totally waste their money. Pictured below is an authentic, original, genuine Tiffany lamp.

I wrote this because even the best dictionaries do not differentiate well between these terms bandied about, and because every time I have to tell someone the lamp they inherited or bought is either a forgery or not authentic Tiffany, or not even terribly old, it is, after 42 years, still somewhat difficult for me. I want to try and avoid in any way I can, as many incidences of that happening in the future.  Honest, factual education I believe, is part of the solution to that problem - and many other problems.

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Dennis

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Authentic Tiffany Lamps - The Difference Between a "Tiffany Style" and an Authentic Tiffany Lamp

This is a re-posted blog, due to the continued confusion between an authentic Tiffany Studios lamp made between 1898-1928 and a "Tiffany style" lamp, which might be old, but which is not an authentic Tiffany lamp and has usually only decorative or low value to a serious Tiffany or other leaded glass lamp collector.

Daily and weekly I receive forms from my web site and photos in email from people who think they have an authentic Tiffany lamp, due to a family story (very common) or due to what a dealer or auctioneer or well meaning friend told them.

Forgeries and modern Tiffany reproductions aside, if people would simply look at the many photo examples on my web site on the examples page at:

http://www.antiquetiffanylamps.com/examples

and look at what I have posted on Google+ articles and other places, they would be able to tell if a shade has a chance of being authentic Tiffany or not. There is a clear difference visually in a "panel shaded" hanging shade, common in the 1915-35 time period and beyond, and in a leaded shaded hanging lamp that could be an authentic Tiffany lamp.

Below are two very clear photo examples of what I see often - a "panel shaded" lamp with glass top "crown" - not a shape or a style of lamp Tiffany Studios ever made - and a leaded shaded lamp (small pieces of colored glass, soldered together, to create a geometric, dragonfly or floral design in the shade) - which was what Tiffany Studios made and sold.

Above is an old (but not nearly old enough) hanging shade that many people would call a "Tiffany lamp." It is clearly not authentic Tiffany because of the shape, the fact that it is not a "leaded glass" shade (rather, a "paneled glass" shade"), and unless it was added later to fool someone, it will not have a Tiffany Studios signature mark on the inner bottom rim edge. The glass is what is loosely referred to as "slag" glass. Compare this lamp shade to the photos of a leaded, authentic, antique Tiffany shade below. There is no comparison as to shade shape, glass type, construction or other things. These paneled glass shades (in hanging, table and floor lamp styles) have been made since the time Tiffany was making his lamps, and continue to be made by new lamp companies. Some companies call them "Tiffany" and some do not. I don't approve of that unless they use the word "style" or "reproduction," yet many of the companies making them do not add those important descriptive words.

Above,is an authentic Tiffany hanging lamp. It is in the "cone" shape, which I show on my web site as one of the only shapes of shades Tiffany used in his lamps. It is made, as you can see, using many small, various shaped and colored glass pieces, which are soldered together to form the floral design. Compare this to the "paneled glass" shade above with glass top crown, and it should be clear what is a leaded shaded lamp and what is not. This can help clear up many people's idea of what might have a chance of being an "authentic Tiffany lamp" or simply an old (even 90 years old!) hanging shade with some colored or patterned glass in it.

Even if the top shade had a floral design or fruit in it, the shape is totally wrong and it would be clear that the pieces of glass were much larger. Many lamps which people think to be authentic Tiffany lamps are loosely "Tiffany style," if they have smaller soldered pieces of glass in them, and are not panel shaded. But the things that will differentiate them from an authentic Tiffany lamp will be the shape of the shade, the pattern/design, usually the lack of a signature mark, and the general quality.

Tiffany lamp shades and bases were always bronze alloy. The exceptions were a few art pottery bases made (still signed Tiffany Studios," and some bases (rare) which were made from Tiffany art glass. If a lamp is "pot metal" or any other metal other than bronze alloy, unless it is a very good quality forgery or very good quality reproduction, (a few of those companies will use a bronze alloy) it will never be an authentic, original Tiffany Studios lamp. If it is new and good quality, somewhere on the base or the shade there will almost always be a factory or company name. And that name will not say "Tiffany Studios New York" as the authentic lamps are marked. Of course any mark such as, "Made in USA" or "Made in China" automatically takes any chance of the lamp being an authentic Tiffany lamp out of the equation. His lamps were all made in New York, and he never used those marks.

Below are examples of a Tiffany style table lamp, and below that an authentic Tiffany Studios table lamp, (from c.1910-20) with the proper signature marks on the base (always signed) and on the shade (signed most of the time). The differences again, should be obvious between lack of signature on the base at least, as well as looking at the shape of the shades. Again, the only shapes of shades Tiffany made can be shown in many books and also in photos on my web site at Antique Tiffany Lamps.

The above "leaded glass" lamp is made by a very reputable modern company, but it is a reproduction lamp, in the "Tiffany style" only. It's value is that of a reproduction, and it is not something I would ever suggest anyone buy in hopes it will someday (perhaps in 75-100 years) be more valuable than it is when bought.

Above is an authentic Tiffany lamp. It has many various sized colored glass pieces, soldered together to make up what it referred to as a "geometric" pattern. It will also have the mark "Tiffany Studios New York" (in all capital letters) stamped into the bottom of the base, as well as a model number. Chances are great that the shade's inner rim will have the same signature mark on a small area, sometimes also with a model number. Again, this shade is in the cone shape that Tiffany used. The lamp above this lamp as you can see, has a large, wavy, irregular border, which Tiffany Studios did not use in their shades.

There are many other clues and guidelines to look at when determining if a lamp is an authentic Tiffany lamp or not. Some of those things are written about and shown in photos on my web site at Antique Tiffany Lamps. I hope this helps. There are also good books you can buy or get from libraries on my web site for further reference on this topic.

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Dennis

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Authentic Tiffany Lamps - Big Things Can Come In Small Packages!

Most people who collect or study authentic Tiffany Studios lamps are accustomed to seeing the leaded shade lamps which measure approximately 16-24 inches in diameter. They are most commonly seen in Tiffany's table lamps, hanging shades and floor lamps.

Tiffany Studios also made a more limited number of leaded "miniature" and small shaded lamps. Tiffany produced small desk and boudoir non-leaded shade lamps that are no more than 5 -6 inches in diameter which are fairly common Fortunately, they also made leaded shades which had shades that were only about 10-14 inches in diameter.

While the small non-leaded lamps are worth much less money the small leaded shade lamps are worth as much or much more than a large leaded 16 - 20 inch shaded lamps, due to the rarity of their size and the smaller quantity of them originally made. I find the miniature leaded glass lamp shades amazing in their delicacy, and of course very desirable due to their small size. 

Here are photos of three more commonly found (and very sought after) small leaded shade authentic Tiffany lamps:

Above is a very desirable and rare Tiffany Studios miniature "Wisteria" lamp which has only a 10 inch diameter shade. Some call these "Pony Wisterias."

Above we see a lovely, colorful "Venetian" small shaded Tiffany Studios lamp with a small 13 inch shade.

A fine example of a Tiffany Studios miniature "Dragonfly" lamp above with a 14 inch shade.

Authentic Tiffany lamps are all lovely, no matter what the shade size. 

There is, in my opinion, and the opinion of others, an added quality and appeal to diminutive leaded shade lamps which Tiffany produced in likewise small quantities.

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Dennis

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