Tiffany’s Lamps: Lighting Luxury

When Tiffany’s leaded-glass lamps debuted in 1898, they were wildly popularbecause they combined usefulness and beauty in an innovative way. They providedillumination while softening the brightness of early electric light bulbs, buttheir interplay of richly-colored glass and sculpted bronze transformed theseuseful household objects into works of art.

Perhaps notsurprisingly, these artful lighting fixtures came with hefty price tags.Tiffany’s lamps were made by hand from start to finish using costly materials,like hand-rolled glass and cast bronze, and ranged in price depending on theirsize and complexity of design. Tiffany’s prestigious brand name further contributedto the high price of these lamps.

Compare thevariety of lamps and array of price points on display here, and then explorethe rest of The Neustadt Gallery at the Queens Museum to learn more about thecomplex processes behind their creation.

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