Tiffany Glass, Marvelous Collectibles

When you think of Tiffany art glass, you might think of words like "beautiful", "exquisite" and "expensive." However, did you know there was a time when Tiffany glass was thrown away. By WWII, many people had thrown away their Tiffany glassware.

Between 1878 and 1933, Louis Comfort Tiffany was so popular that at least one of his vases or glass lampshades appeared in every American home that could afford them. However, tastes change, and what was once a beautiful status symbol became junk. It's ironic that what we now consider marvelous collectibles, and what taught Americans they could by great native-produced art objects, was briefly so out of fashion that it was thrown away.

The high point of Tiffany's career probably occurred in 1883, when he was asked by President Chester Arthur to decorate the White House itself. Tiffany had bronze ceilings, new curtains and carpets, mosaic fireplaces and a hall screen of opalescent glass put in.

Tiffany Lamps

While Tiffany glass is no longer used to decorate the White House, we do understand its value again. One of the most classic and recognizable types of Tiffany glass is his series of lamps. Usually made with naturalistic bronze bases and floral and insect-patterned stained glass, they've caught the imaginations of many. They're highly collectible, and depending on the lamp and its age, can bring a high price, too.

For instance, a single tulip table lamp, with a green and blue shade decorated in red and purple tulips, sold for nearly fifty thousand dollars. A red peony floor lamp sold for sixty-three thousand dollars, and a bronze poppy lamp for twenty thousand. The current market is extremely good for Tiffany lamps, but there are some important criteria for figuring out how much to pay for one, or what price to ask.

The condition of the lamp is important, since each shade is made out of several thousand pieces of glass. The rarity of the lamp and the pattern it's made in will also affect price, and some lamps have better coloration than others. That's an artifact of how they were made - the process of hand making Tiffany glass necessarily produces some pieces that are better.

Tiffany lamp shades have a delightful, warm look when turned on, so most collectors also use their Tiffany glass lamps. They have strong potential to be a good investment, too. Not just rich people can buy Tiffany lamps. For an investment of a few thousand dollars, you could own a basic Tiffany lamp that will only appreciate in value.

Watch Out for Fakes

The important thing to be aware of when collecting Tiffany glass is that there are many reproductions and fakes on the market. Learn all the hallmarks of real Tiffany glass and know that the lamp or other art glass piece you're buying the the real deal. Otherwise, your investment might turn out to be wasted. The good news is that Tiffany produced a lot of glass, so there are still plenty of pieces out there, waiting for the right collector.

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Tags: Art Glass, glass, louis comfort tiffany, tiffany art glass, tiffany glass, tiffany glassware

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