Questions & Answers
Our trusted network of 1stDibs sellers answer common questions
How can I tell if a Tiffany lamp is real or not?
1 Answer
To tell if a Tiffany lamp is real, flip it over to reveal the base and pull up the cap. If you see a dull gray ring, you likely have an authentic lamp. Real Tiffany pieces feature a lead ring. Replicas usually use brass, zinc, painted metal, wood or plastic instead of lead. Find a variety of expertly vetted Tiffany lamps on 1stDibs.
1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
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Shop for Tiffany Studios Table Lamps on 1stDibs
Tiffany Studios Jeweled Drophead Dragonfly Table Lamp
By Tiffany Studios
Located in Dallas, TX
Tiffany Studios Leaded Glass and Gilt Bronze Jeweled Drophead Dragonfly Table Lamp, circa 1910.
At the turn of the century, Clara Driscoll, head of the women’s glass cutting department and the brains behind some of Tiffany’s most iconic shades introduced the “Drophead Dragonfly” to the world. Unable to cut the pieces of glass small enough to give the desired lacy effect to the wings of the dragonfly, Driscoll came up with the idea of using a brass filigree overlay that would be soldered over top of the glass wings, giving a much more intricate appearance.
These filigrees had previously been used on smaller decorative items but were a new concept in lamp design. The Dragonfly became one of Tiffany’s first recorded leaded shades, shown as early as 1899 by Art Nouveau tastemaker Siegfried Bing at Grafton Galleries in London The design won her the bronze medal at the 1900 world's fair a year later.
As the son of Tiffany & Co-founder Charles Lewis Tiffany, jewels to Louis Comfort Tiffany were as water is to a fish. It is no wonder with this background that Tiffany made the bold decision to employ Leo Popper & Sons of New York City as its producer of glass jewels Popper was founded in 1880 to produce imitation stones for costume jewelry, and Tiffany’s entrepreneurial prowess saw the possibility of using jewels in leaded glass shades. On the subject, Tiffany wrote: “Anyone who has seen the great rose windows of Chartres has, intuitively or otherwise, understood the relationship between glass and jewels. Designed to refract light prismatically, and placed to raise heads beatifically, they resemble nothing so much as magnificent celestial jewels.” It was likely for this reason that model no. 1507 was Tiffany’s favorite. More than any of its variants, the shade was spangled with a wide assortment of cabochon topaz glass jewels.
This lamp features a unique example of Tiffany Studios' iconic Drophead Dragonfly shade depicting a swarm of nine descending dragonflies, each with a distinct combination of body and eye color. Dragonflies, each with wings of strikingly mottled apple green and deep red and a unique combination of eye and body color. The ground is a warm saffron yellow shaded up to rich butter yellow, punctuated by twinkling amber cabochons jewels and topped by geometric bands of purple mauve and mint green. The vibrancy and variation in the dragonfly glass...
Category
Vintage 1910s American Art Nouveau Table Lamps
Materials
Bronze
Tiffany Studios Spider Lamp
By Tiffany Studios
Located in New Orleans, LA
This Tiffany Studios geometric leaded glass and bronze table lamp features the iconic Spider shade and its original complementary Mushroom bronze base. The unique form of the spider and web-inspired shade combines with the soft green and yellow gradient of the glass tiles to display the unparalleled craftsmanship and innovation of Tiffany Studios.
This table lamp shows off the Tiffany hallmarks of nature-inspired aesthetics alongside a beautifully unified artistic form that nearly comes alive when the lamp is turned on. While many Tiffany shades...
Category
20th Century American Art Nouveau Table Lamps
Materials
Bronze
Tiffany Studios Rare Empire Jewel Table Lamp
By Tiffany Studios
Located in Dallas, TX
Tiffany Studios Empire Jewel Table Lamp
Important and rare Tiffany Studios New York "Empire Jewel" Table Lamp, Only 2-3 known to exist and well documented in Alastair Duncans Tiffan...
Category
Vintage 1910s American Art Nouveau Table Lamps
Materials
Bronze
Tiffany Studios New York "Damascene Lighthouse" Desk Lamp
By Tiffany Studios
Located in New York, NY
This Tiffany Studios New York "Lighthouse" desk lamp features a bell-shaped iridescent green Favrile “Damascene” shade, suspended from a two-posted patinated bronze swing-top base, f...
Category
Early 20th Century American Art Nouveau Table Lamps
Materials
Bronze
Tiffany Studios New York Gilt Bronze Harp Desk Lamp, circa 1910
By Tiffany Studios
Located in South Bend, IN
An outstanding Arts & Crafts or Art Deco period harp desk lamp
By Tiffany Studios
New York, USA, Early 20th century
Gilt bronze, with beautiful...
Category
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Materials
Alabaster, Bronze
Tiffany Studios Jeweled Blossom Table Lamp
By Tiffany Studios
Located in Dallas, TX
Tiffany Studios, New York, 'Jeweled Blossom' table light, c. 1907
Height: 21.5 Inches (55 cm)
Diameter: 16 inches (40.2 cm)
Leaded opal glass with some white cabochons, mainly in g...
Category
Vintage 1910s American Art Nouveau Table Lamps
Materials
Bronze