Signed lamps

Discussion in 'Pottery, Glass, and Porcelain' started by Gregory R, Jan 20, 2012.

  1. Gregory R

    Gregory R Member

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    Americans were very busy producing lamps from the Art Nouveau period through the Art Deco period (1890-1940). The two American specialties were reverse painting on glass and leaded glass (stained glass). At first the lamps were kerosene but gradually all the makers changed to electric lighting. Some Tiffany lamps during the transitional period have both gas jets and electrical sockets, especially wall sconces.

    The Handel Lamp Company of Meriden, Connecticut was the finest maker of reverse-painted lamps. They hired the best artists and produced an astounding array of beautiful lamps with subjects ranging from scenes to birds to flowers. These lamps were made in sizes that ranged from boudoir to floor lamps to 18″ diameter table lamps. They are highly sought after. Prices range from several thousand dollars to over $100,000 for extreme rarities.
    At Handel, the technique of reverse-painting a lamp began in the design department. Here a watercolor was made of a potential design. After approval, the design was given a number and glass artists copied it onto a glass blank. The artists used glass enamel paints which were fired into the glass, making the design permanent. No two lamps, even with the same design number, even by the same artist, were ever identical. The success of each lamp depended largely on the ability of the artist. There are better examples of each design number than others. Sometimes the variations are substantial. #6688 is a very good illustration. This model is painted with dogwood flowers and butterflies. Some #6688 lamps have superb painting, colorful flowers, and more butterflies than others.
    Pairpoint is generally considered second to Handel. However Pairpoint had an edge. They not only produced reverse-painted lamps, but a novel type of lamp that they called “blown-outs”. Today these blown-outs are commonly referred to as “puffies”. Pairpoint patented the technique in 1907. There were no imitators until the expiration of their patent. First the glass was blown into a mold and then reverse-painted and fired. The blown-out sections were usually flowers, fruits, birds or butterflies. The technique made the flowers 3-dimensional and very realistic. Today Pairpoint puffies are in very high demand and prices range from several thousand dollars to over $80,000 for rarities.
    Other fine makers of reverse-painted lamps were Moe-Bridges, Jefferson, Classique, Pittsburgh and Phoenix, to name a few. These makers are all highly collectible but generally do not command the same prices as Handel and Pairpoint. Prices range from several hundred dollars to approximately $10,000 for the best.
    Tiffany Studios was the best maker of leaded lamps. Under the inspired
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    genius of Louis Comfort Tiffany, the studio produced a vast array of table lamps, floors lamps, wall sconces, ceiling fixtures, windows and more. Tiffany also produced lamps with hand-blown shades. He coined the term “Favrile” for all his hand-blown glass. Today one can find Tiffany leaded lamps, lily lamps, Favrile lamps and even all bronze lamps. Tiffany lamps range in price from several thousand dollars to approximately $3,000,000 for the very finest and rarest.

    Duffner & Kimberly is generally considered to be second only to Tiffany. They produced leaded lamps that rivaled Tiffany in quality. They existed for a much shorter period of time and therefore there are far fewer available for sale. Duffner & Kimberly lamps are highly collectible. Prices range from several thousand dollars to over $50,000 for the best.
    Handel also produced some leaded lamps. The quality is quite good for real ones, but there’s the problem. Probably only 5-10% of lamps that are called Handel were actually made by Handel. Common practice is to call any unsigned lamp an unsigned “Handel”. Even many of the ones that are signed are not authentic. Authentication of Handel leaded lamps is a real problem and left only to very few experts.
    German clients were heavy buyers of leaded lamps in the late 1970′s. Many fell prey to unscrupulous dealers who put unsigned shades on signed Handel bases. They were told that the lamps were authentic and original. A book was published in German on leaded lamps that were bought during this time period. The book was filled with so many errors that it’s sad and humorous at the same time.
    Wilkinson, Williamson, Chicago Mosaic, Unique, Bigelow & Kennard, and Seuss were other fine makers of leaded lamps. Most were unsigned and identification is difficult in many cases. Each company had their own system of caps, finials, and socket clusters. Sometimes their shade or base designs were unique to their company. Presently these clues are used to attempt proper attribution of an unsigned leaded lamp. A very fine book on leaded lamps has been in the almost finished stage for several years. One day if this book gets published, it will be a very valuable resource for leaded lamp identification.
     
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