Tiffany Studios
Dragonfly Table Lamp

American, circa 1906
Height: 23 ½ inches (59.7 cm)
Diameter: 20 inches (50.8 cm)

In this example of Tiffany’s famous Dragonfly Lamp, a 20-inch diameter conical leaded glass shade depicts a series of dragonflies with deep blue bodies and green wings mounted with delicate filigree, hovering above background glass in shades of blue and green. The “streaky” background glass has been carefully selected to shift from predominantly blue near the crown of the shade to a blue-green tone near the lower rim. The eyes of the dragonflies are formed by complementary bright yellow glass, standing out from the cool tones used in the majority of the shade.

Pressed ovoid glass jewels in a shade of deep blue are interspersed throughout the background of the shade, with the rare addition of interior plating on the jewels closer to the crown of the shade resulting in a gradation from dark to light of opacity both and color to coordinate with the glass selection in the background.

This Dragonfly shade is paired with a Decorated Cushion Table Base in a rich brown patina. The lamp retains an original perforated heat cap in matching patina.

The dragonfly repeatedly served as a source of inspiration for Louis Comfort Tiffany and the artists at Tiffany Studios; the insect, with its finely detailed wings, appeared in designs for jewelry, Favrile Glass mosaics, and, most famously, the iconic series of Tiffany Lamps first designed by Clara Driscoll in the late 1890s.

Both the shade and base of this original Tiffany lamp are signed.

American, circa 1906
Height: 23 ½ inches (59.7 cm)
Diameter: 20 inches (50.8 cm)

In this example of Tiffany’s famous Dragonfly Lamp, a 20-inch diameter conical leaded glass shade depicts a series of dragonflies with deep blue bodies and green wings mounted with delicate filigree, hovering above background glass in shades of blue and green. The “streaky” background glass has been carefully selected to shift from predominantly blue near the crown of the shade to a blue-green tone near the lower rim. The eyes of the dragonflies are formed by complementary bright yellow glass, standing out from the cool tones used in the majority of the shade.

Pressed ovoid glass jewels in a shade of deep blue are interspersed throughout the background of the shade, with the rare addition of interior plating on the jewels closer to the crown of the shade resulting in a gradation from dark to light of opacity both and color to coordinate with the glass selection in the background.

This Dragonfly shade is paired with a Decorated Cushion Table Base in a rich brown patina. The lamp retains an original perforated heat cap in matching patina.

The dragonfly repeatedly served as a source of inspiration for Louis Comfort Tiffany and the artists at Tiffany Studios; the insect, with its finely detailed wings, appeared in designs for jewelry, Favrile Glass mosaics, and, most famously, the iconic series of Tiffany Lamps first designed by Clara Driscoll in the late 1890s.

Both the shade and base of this original Tiffany lamp are signed.