Stained Glass Lamp Shades
Louis Comfort Tiffany who was the son of Charles Tiffany who in turn was the founder of the famous jewellery business was the first to produce high quality stained glass lamp shades. Today, stained glass lamp shades that bear the name of Tiffany are considered to be among the best that one can buy on the market today. This is because these shades incorporate bold and vivid designs that are superior to others in an artistic as well as technical manner.
Stained glass –introduced to the market in 1895
Tiffany started to produce stained glass lamp shades at the time when the electric light bulb was being introduced in the market. The first of the many different excellent stained glass lamp shades that were made by Tiffany was introduced into the market in the year 1895. These shades were very ornamental and were made from leftover glass pieces. Tiffany’s products became very popular.
Not the original creator
However, Tiffany is not the original creator of stained glass lamp shades though he was mainly responsible for popularising these products. Prior to Tiffany Shades there were many other companies that were making stained glass lamp shades and these include those such as The Duffner as well as Kimberley Company whose products were of a very high quality as well.
Seven categories
When comparing Tiffany stained glass lamp shades there are seven different categories that are worth taking a closer look at. These include the Favrile, Flowered Globe, Flowered Cone, Transition to Flowers, Geometric and Irregular Lower Border and Irregular Upper Border.
Favrile was a term that was coined by Tiffany and it means handmade. This term was then trademarked by Tiffany in 1894 and since then has been used to denote all of his enamel, ceramic and glass works.
Tiffany’s popularity grew to such an extent that others tried to forge his works by forging his signature. However, when Louis Comfort passed away in 1932, his company Tiffany Studios also ceased to exist. This means that if you are looking for genuine Tiffany stained glass lamp shades you will find that these are very rare but there is high demand for them. The original shades and the rarest among them can be sold for more than two million dollars.
In any case, stained glass lamp shades are objects that will help to create a dramatic effect in any room. There are many types to choose from including the whimsical as well as the gothic and each type will make a major impact in the room in which it is used.
In order to pick the best stained glass lamp shades, it is important to understand and follow a few rules. First of all, you need to address the issue of colour palate that is already being used in a particular room. So, when choosing the stained glass lamp shades, be sure that you do not make the mistake of using dark or deep colours in a room in which the main colour shade being used is pastel or any other soft shade.
If your room is in the contemporary style, then it pays to pick shades that are geometrical in design while for a room that is in the country or cottage theme, it pays to go for shades which are more floral.
