Can my stained glass lampshade be repaired? Find out here!

Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848 – 1933) was a US artist and designer who worked in decorative arts and is best known for his stained glass. He is the American artist most identified with the Aesthetic and Art Nouveau movements. Tiffany designed stained glass windows and lamps, glass mosaics, blown glass, ceramics, jewelry, enamels, and metalwork. He was the founding Design Director at his family company, Tiffany & Co.

Entrepreneurial Breakthroughs

The two crucial innovations which allowed Tiffany to revolutionize stained-glass lamp design were the manufacture of opalescent glass and the development of the copper-foil method of manufacture.

Opalescent Glass

In the early to mid-1800s, American designers were frustrated by the limited availability of colored glass – European manufacturers sent their second-best glass to the US.  In response to this, John La Farge, and later Tiffany developed semi-opaque “opalescent” glass which could be made in multicolored textures simulating, sunsets, lakes, flowers, leaves and other features of nature. To give himself control of production he hired the famous English glassmaker Arthur Nash and helped him establish the Stourbridge glass factory in 1893, in Corona, N.Y. The availability of unique art glass enabled Tiffany to design astonishing landscape masterpieces like the “River of Life” window (right/below) as well as iconic stained-glass lampshades.

The Copper-Foil Method

In a brilliant and perceptive business move, Tiffany acquired Stanford Bray’s patent (https://patents.google.com/patent/US349424A/en) for the “copper foil” technique, which, by edging each piece of cut glass in copper foil and soldering the whole together to create his windows and lamps, made possible a level of detail previously unknown. 

Copper-foiled construction contrasts with the traditional method of painting on colorless glass and then installing the painted or stained glass in lead came (channel) – the traditional fabrication method for centuries in Europe.

The availability of opalescent art glass and the unique copper-foil manufacturing method allowed Tiffany, in 1895, to start making beautifully complex lampshades following natural, or botanical designs using flowers, dragonflies, spiders with webs, butterflies, and peacock feathers.

The main lampshade artist is now known to have been Clara Driscoll who was paid $10,000 per year in the early 1900s – making her the best-paid woman in the US.  Among her classic designs is the famous Wisteria Lampshade which was priced in the Tiffany catalog at about $350.00 but sold for more than $1.5 million in 2005.

The current world record price was paid for the very rare “Pond Lily” lamp (right/below) of which only 16 examples are known.

Following the closing of the Tiffany glass factory in the 1930s, there was a hiatus in copper-foil lampshade production until the 1980s and 1990s when reproduction shades of varying quality started being made in countries with low labor costs – primarily Mexico and China. 

Defective heat-cap

Probably the commonest repair that we see at Artistry in Glass is due to inadequate soldering of the heat-cap or crown of the lampshade. The entire weight of the heavy shade is supported by the joint between the metal heat-cap and the stained glass and this joint often fails on reproduction Tiffany shades.

Reinforcement of Heat-Cap

The recommended restoration method for safely securing the heat-cap is to join the cap to the body of the lamp with soldered copper wire. In this way, the large weight of the art glass is distributed along four strong attachment points.

Use LED lights

Failure of the heat-cap is accelerated by the use of old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs. The heat generated by these bulbs causes expansion and contraction of the solder joints promoting detachment. Change to LED to avoid heat build-up (and save dollars!)

If the heat-cap fails or your lampshade is damaged in moving – carefully bring it into Artistry in Glass for an expert repair appraisal. The cost will depend on the extent of the damage and the type of shade. Original Tiffany lampshades require especial care as explained below

Premium Tiffany-style Orange Butterfly replacement lampshade – 12″ diameter by 4 3/8″ tall. Exquisite textured glass in copper foil – available through Amazon.

As a reaction to the exuberance and complexity of the Art Nouveau period, the Arts and Crafts movement promoted a purity of design where the attraction of colored art glass could still be enjoyed, but in a simple geometric framework. At the same time, the rising costs of labor made rectilinear designs much more affordable to construct. Lampshades like those shown here reflected the mid-century esthetic as well as being simpler for hobbyists to manufacture.

What is Slag Glass?

Slag glass is a type of opalescent, semi-opaque, art glass with a streaky or mottled texture. It was first made late-19th-century England, where the manufacturers added slag from iron-works to molten glass in order to produce textural patterns like tortoiseshell and marbling. Because of its light-transmitting properties, slag glass became widely used in lampshades. The most common colors for original slag glass were golden amber/orange, turquoise & malachite green and purple. Slag glass has, rather confusingly, given its name to the range of lamps and lampshades in which it is incorporated into cast metal frames. The lamp frames and bases are made from “white” or “pot” – metal which is cast into a variety of ornate, filigree styles from art nouveau to arts and crafts.

Repair of Slag Glass Lamps

The common repair issues that we encounter at Artistry in Glass are:-

1. Damage to the metal frame
2. Cracked or missing slag glass

Repair of Slag Glass Frames

The material of the frames is generally pot metal (originally named for the practice in metal foundries of melting various left-over metals (zinc, copper, tin, iron) to make low-temperature alloys). Pot metal is easily cast because of its low melting point but is brittle and easily broken. The repair involves a combination of careful soldering and use of special epoxies combined with the application of paint and patina to disguise the new joins. An additional metal repair is sometimes necessary to the copper or brass tabs which are bent underneath the shade to secure the curved glass.

Making a Mold

With curved glass, the time-consuming and therefore expensive part of the repair is making a mold. We need an example of an unbroken panel, from which we construct a custom plaster mold. Then the new art glass (slag glass) is placed on the mold and heated in the kiln until it becomes soft and slumps down to form the correct shape.

The cost of reproducing slumped glass depends on the exact details but prices for simple shapes are about $100 for the initial panel and $55 for each additional panel. For double and triple curved panels our prices are about $125 for the first panel, $65 for each additional panel.

Pendant Lamps for America

Starting in the 1980s and 1990s, lamp companies started making pendant lamps with brass or chrome frames and including sparkling beveled edged glass panels. The lamps took the place of more elaborate and baroque crystal chandeliers and are designed to be hung in residential hall or entryways or as lights to illuminate dining tables. Since the turn of the century, manufacturing has largely shifted to China.

Damage normally only occurs when these lamps are moved as owners re-locate to a new home. If a beveled glass panel is broken it is never possible to order a new replacement from the manufacturer. At Artistry in Glass, we can custom-bevel glass or, suggest the more economical alternative of substituting plain (not beveled) glass (the difference hardly shows).

Make sure you pack these lamps carefully when moving house – the moving men specialize in busting these lamps!

Homeowners, commercial businesses and renters come to Artistry in Glass on a weekly basis to replace broken or vandalized lantern panels. We have a large selection of art glass and can match most missing parts.

Simple repair consists of matching the gold/amber streaky glass.

Opal glass lampshades were originally developed for gas lights and, to a lesser extent, kerosene lamps in the Victorian era. Prized examples were hand-painted and fired in the kiln, generally with floral motifs.

In rare cases when a specific design has to be duplicated, Artistry in Glass can hand-paint a plain opal shade to match the original. Otherwise, there are a large number of sources for reproduction shades. Follow this link (and specify the diameter of the shade opening (often 3 1/2″ or 4″) in order to order the correct size.

With cylindrical shades, Artistry in Glass can cut down the glass to create a shade of the correct height.

It is truly a joy to me …

“I’m finally back in Santa Fe after some time in Europe. I unpacked the porcelain lamp you repaired for me and am enjoying it every day. It is truly a joy to me, the last heirloom I have from my mother. Thank you for your good work and safe shipment. Thank you! And may you continue to prosper. Blessings,”

Diana Thatcher, Santa Fe, NM