Authentic Tiffany Lamp Clues 101

I receive dozens of emails daily and several phone calls from people who go to my www.antiquetiffanylamps.com web site or go to the Tiffany Studios lamps section on the Fine Art Investments web site. Of those who fill out the simple “Lamp Evaluation Form” or one of the other short forms, probably 60% of them state that their lamp is unsigned, or they ask me how to tell if they have an “authentic” Tiffany Studios lamp or not. Maybe these unsure people lack the time to read the main sections of the web site or maybe I am not clear enough, but the answer to that question is shown and described on the web site. I’ll elaborate more here, but I’ll also refer you to the following pages and links on the FAI web site which are there to help you and also to help me determine if what you have is an authentic Tiffany Studios lamp:

http://www.fineartinvestments.org/tiffanylamps.shtml

http://fineartinvestments.org/lampform.shtml

http://www.antiquetiffanylamps.com/

http://www.antiquetiffanylamps.com/examples.shtml

In addition to the pages and images on the pages above, and to repeat some things that I have written and that are basic facts about Tiffany lamps of the hanging, desk, table lamp or floor lamp styles (leaded shades) I will add these things that are in my experience reliable guidelines to follow when assessing what you have or do not have:

• The majority of authentic Tiffany Studios leaded glass lamp shades (regardless of whether they are hanging shades, table lamps, desk lamps or floor lamps) are "stamp signed" into the bottom inner shade rim. It will say "TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK," usually with a number beside that on the rim edge. It will be in small, all capital “block” font letters. True, some shades are not signed, but the majority of them most commonly found are signed. There are slight variations to how the rim signature looks - it can be on a small bronze "tag" soldered to the rim also, but it will always say, "TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK", sometimes with and sometimes without a number following that on the right. It depends often on the type, size and style of the bottom of the particular shade. Also it's good to remember that even if signed, unless you have owned the shade/lamp since before about 1962-63, it could be a very good forgery. Only an expert can tell for certain if it is authentic. I can tell if you send me very clear, well lighted digital photos of the lamp and the signature.  See example below of one of the common "stamped into the rim" signatures:

                                        Typical shade rim mark

• If is a "lily" light shaded desk, table or floor lamp or unleaded dome shaped, "cased glass" iridescent style shade, the signature will be etched into the top of the narrow neck of the shade rim, (where it goes up into the socket) with the initials "LCT" or something similar. There are some variations on that. 

• All of Tiffany's lamp bases are made of bronze. Never brass, pot metal or anything else, with the rare exception of some which were made from art pottery. The bronze bases will have a solid plate on the bottom of the base, (exception being a few bases with tripod or individual curved feet, in which case the same signature will usually be on the bottom of one of the feet, where it sits on a table or other surface. It will likewise say “TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK,” also with a number stamped below that signature usually (see image below). If it says “Dale Tiffany” or has numbers only, or has any other manufacturer’s name, “Made in Mexico,” or things of that nature, the base certainly is not by Tiffany Studios. There are 1-2 other variations or "looks" to these base signatures. But it will always say "TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK" in all capital block letters.

                   Legitimate Tiffany Studios base mark known as the "monogram" mark

• On authentic Tiffany glass leaded shades, there will never be a glass “crown” or other similar added on glass which goes on top of the top of the dome shade above the bronze round heat cap or the round hole on the top of the shade where there is often also a finial. Tiffany did not add these top adornments to the dome or top rounded part of his shades. Likewise, Tiffany never made lamp shades advertising Coca Cola.

There are many more clues and fairly simple ways to determine that what you have is not possibly by Tiffany Studios. For now, this will hopefully clarify what is shown on my web pages – specifically on those pages with photos and those listed above as links.