Fontaine's Antique Auction
Gallery Buys and Sells
Tiffany Lamps
Fontaine's enjoys a
national reputation for
strong, sometimes
record-setting prices for a
wide
range of quality
antiques Tiffany Lamps and fine art. After
35 years in the Antiques
Business Fontaine's prides
itself on Professional
Appraisals and Exceptional
Customer Service.
Our areas of particular
strength are: Lighting by
Tiffany, Pairpoint, Handel,
Duffner & Kimberly, others;
19th century/historic
lighting.
On Sunday, March 21st,
Fontaine’s Auction Gallery
is offering a one day
seminar and appraisal on the
lamps of Tiffany with
special guest speaker Paul
Crist of Paul Crist Studios.
Have you ever wondered what
your lamp is worth, who made
it or even questioned its
authenticity?
sss
Teamed up for a one day
only event, John Fontaine
co-author of “The Handel
Lamps Book” , along side
Paul Crist author of “Mosaic
Shades II” will assist you
in evaluating your 20th
Century lighting. You are
invited to bring your lamps
to Fontaine's Auction
Gallery, 1485 W. Housatonic
St, Pittsfield, MA. 01201
free of charge; to be
evaluated and authenticated
by today’s leading experts.
A certificate of
authenticity documenting
your lamp can also be
purchased. The evaluations
and authentication will be
preceded by an informative
seminar by Paul Crist on the
lamps of Tiffany @ 10:00 am.
with a question & answer
session.
The public is
invited. If you have one
piece or an entire
collection, Crist and
Fontaine are here for you.
Please call to reserve a
time slot in the morning or
afternoon. Surprised by what
you hear? In May, Fontaine’s
will also be hosting its
Spring Exceptional Antiques
Auction, to include a
session of the finest
lighting from estates and
collections from around the
country!
We are offering a
0% sellers commission on
high end lighting and
antiques. That’s right, it
will cost you nothing to
sell your Tiffany and other
high end lighting at one of
the top galleries for 20th
century arts and lighting in thecountry.
Paul Crist, the head of Paul
Crist Studios, has over 30
years of experience in the
field of mosaic shades -
copper foiled and leaded.
Crist is nationally noted as
the leading expert in this
field by dealers and
collectors alike and is said
to be the “LastStop” for
authenticating & lighting
evaluation.
30 Plus years of
research and documentation
has sparked Crist’s ambition
to produce a 3 volume
series, educating the world
on “Mosaic Shades”. His
first publication “Mosaic
Shade II” is packed with
knowledge and pictures of
the many copper-foiled shade
makers apart from Tiffany,
including Duffner &
Kimberly, Chicago Mosaic,
Wilkinson, John Morgan,
Unique Glass Co. and many
more.
Volume II is not only
a perfect coffee table
treasure, but also the
“Go-To” reference for the
ambitious researcher.
Fontaine was born into the
world of auctions and
antiques and been in the
business of antiques and
auctions for 40 years as
both an auctioneer and an
ambitious researcher. His
knowledge reaches out to
furniture makers like J.H.
Belter, J&J.W. Meeks,
Horner, Herter Bros,
Alexander Roux, Gustav
Stickley, Charles Rohlfs and
many more.
Fontaine’s
passion for lighting is
uncharted; being an
auctioneer for the last 40
years he has had hands on
experience that most can
only dream of and his
driving ambition assisted in
the production of “The
Handel Lamps Book”.
Documenting and
photographing the treasures
of Philip Handel, Fontaine
was able to co-write one of
the most noted reference
books on “The Handel Lamp
Co”.
Mr. Fontaine has
embraced the world of 20th
century lighting fully,
including in his repertoire
is knowledge of other
reverse painted lamp makers
such as Moe Bridges,
Pittsburgh, Jefferson,
Pairpoint and
leaded/copper-foiled lamp
makers including Tiffany,
Duffner & Kimberly, Chicago
Mosaic, Wilkinson, John
Morgan, Unique Glass Co. and
many more.
Fontaine's Auction Gallery
1485 West Housatonic Street
Pittsfield, MA 01201
413-448-8922
A Tiffany lamp is a type
of lamp with a stained glass
shade. The pieces of stained
glass that
comprise
a Tiffany shade are soldered
together with copper foil.
Original Tiffany lamps are
generally considered part of
the Art Nouveau movement,
and are considered one of
the best American
contributions to this
movement that began in
Europe in the late 19th
century. The first Tiffany
lamp was created in 1899
with a bronze base and was
designed by Louis Comfort
Tiffany. The record price
for an original Tiffany
Studios lamp at a public
sale exceeds US $8,000,000.
22" Tiffany Dogwood
Table Lamp On American
Indian Bronze Base
Welcome to Fontaine's
Antique Auction
Gallery. We have long
been known for record
setting prices for
fine and rare
antiques. One of our
many specialties is
20th century lighting
including such works
by Louis Comfort
Tiffany of Tiffany
Studios New York.
Here our featured item
is a 22" Tiffany
Banded Dogwood Leaded
Floral Table Lamp on
an American Indian
Bronze base.
The leaded glass shade
shows a geometric
pattern throughout
which is created by
green and white
Striated Glass cut to
small quadrangular
pieces. This pattern
is shown in 8 Rows
from the top (or
aperture) of the shade
and 3 rows from the
bottom rim. The
Dogwood floral pattern
is featured in a
banded border,
stretching into the
8th geometric row from
the top and the 3rd
geometric row from the
bottom. Each of the
flowers consists of 4
pieces of opaque
mottled glass
depicting the petals
and a 5th yellow piece
in the centers.
Surrounding the
flowers within this
border are large green
leaves, showing some
gray striations, and
brown translucent
branches, visible in 3
places. The aperture
(or top opening) of
the shade is 5" in
diameter and the shade
is 8.5" high. The
lower rim, which is
22" in diameter, is
edged with a ½"
unusual heavy bronze
border. The top of the
lamp shows a
reticulated spun
bronze heat cap with a
teardrop finial, which
sits over the shade.
Looking at the
underside of the shade
you will see that the
lead work is applied
just as carefully and
elegantly as the
outside. You can also
see 4 reinforcement
ribs running from the
border to the
aperture. This is very
common in Tiffany's
larger shades. Here
you will also find the
metal tag, which bears
the signature "Tiffany
Studio's New York. The
bronze base is in the
American Indian
pattern; it shows a
very nice dark brown
patina. The platform
of the base is 11.5"
in diameter. It is
molded with squares
and rectangles in a
linear pattern. Moving
up the stem is a long
fluted section with a
band of more scattered
square shapes above
and below. The
spherical light
cluster consists of
swirling arms reaching
out to 3 original
louvered paddle
sockets by Perkins.
Mounted to the top of
the cluster is a riser
with a 5" wheel, on
which the shade sits.
The base is signed on
the bottom plate --
Tiffany Studios New
York 529.
Approximately, around the
year 1895 the first Tiffany
lamp was created. Even
though they were made in
multiples, there is no
record of the quantity of
each lamp completed.
Beautiful in design and
intricacy, each lamp was
made by hand, not mass or
machine produced. [1]
Usually, the people who made
his works come to life, were
extremely knowledgeable of
the craft. Tiffany's
colleagues, Emarel Freshel,
and Clara Driscoll, are
known as two of his famed
workers. Freshel designed
the Wisteria and Pond Lily
lamps and Driscoll made
patterns consisting of
flowers and butterflies for
his lamps.
Tiffany's first business
venture was an interior
design firm in New York, for
which he designed stained
glass windows, and doing so
he came up with the idea to
construct lamps. With the
remaining pieces from his
windows, Tiffany arranged
the glass to form a lamp.
[2] Although he continued to
paint and design for quite
some time, Tiffany's main
desire was glasswork.
Roughly, over twenty years
of time, Tiffany designed
the many specific styles of
his lamps. Most of his
luminaries can be grouped
into one of seven specific
categories, defining their
detailed characteristics.
The: Irregular Upper and
Lower Border, Favrile,
Geometric, Transition to
Flowers, Flowered Cone, and
Flowered Globe lamps. The
Irregular Upper and Lower
Border lamps carry an
openwork crown edge that
helps to stimulate a branch,
tree, or shrubbery. The Favrile category, which
means handcrafted,
identifies the first lamps
Tiffany made with this
label. His initials LCT,
later replaced the Favrile
stamp.
The Geometric
category speaks for itself.
Tiffany used small geometric
shapes such as triangles,
squares, rectangles, and
ovals to form these specific
lamps. Next is the
Transition to Flowers group,
which is subdivided into the
Flowered Cone and Globe
lamps. All of these lamps
follow a defined nature or
botanical design using
flowers, dragonflies,
spiders and their webs,
butterflies, and peacock
feathers. The difference
within these two smaller
categories is that the lamps
encompass different shapes,
a cone and a globe.[3]
Aside from their
categorization every lamp is
prepared by using the Copper
Foil method. First a pattern
for the lamp is drawn out on
a heavy piece of cardboard.
Next a number and glass
color is written on the
pattern piece. After the
pattern is drawn and
labeled, the glass is laid
over it and traced. Once the
pattern is traced onto the
glass, the pieces can be cut
and grinded to their correct
shape. Next the pieces need
to be cleaned so the copper
foil can be applied to the
edges. The copper foil
solution allows the pieces
to adhere together. After
the lamp has been placed
accordingly and it is fully
bonded, the edges need to be
soldered together for a firm
hold. Finally after the lamp
has been soldered it is
cleaned to bring out its
beauty.[4]
Tiffany,
Louis Comfort. “Tiffany
lamp.” The Colombia
Encyclopedia. Sixth Ed.
2001-5.
Neustadt,
E. Lamps of Tiffany.
Neustadt Museum of
Tiffany Art. 1970.
“Tiffany
lamp.”
www.willowglen.com.
1993/2006.
Tiffany lamp
Sold at Fontaine's Antique
Auction Gallery February 23
2008
Tiffany Studios acorn leaded
glass table lamp, with 22”
shade and in very good
condition ($40,250).
Bidder
Reels in Tiffany Fish Lamp
for $128,800 at Fontaine's
August 20th, 2002
Bidder
Reels in Tiffany Fish Lamp
for $128,800 at Fontaine's
PITTSFIELD, MASS. - A
strong selection of
important lighting led the
way - including several
rare Tiffany lamps - at
Fontaine's summer auction
August 16-17.
Furnishings from the
Romano estate, a banking
family from Oak Park,
Ill., were also among the
more than 1,200 items
offered.
More
than 400 lots were served
up for the catalogued
session on Saturday, while
Friday's "Discovery Sale"
featured more than 800
lots, including some from
the Romano estate.
Highlights from that
estate included a dozen
examples of RJ Horner
furniture, including a
partners' desk and
grandfather clock and a
large painting by the
Russian artist Adolph
Schreyer.
The top
lot of the auction was a
rare Tiffany Favrile and
bronze fish lamp on a
blown metal pumpkin base
which realized $128,800,
slightly above its high
estimate. Also underlining
the strong prices across
the board was a Handel
Poppy lamp, featuring an
18-inch diameter shade
reverse painted with
vibrant red, pink and
orange poppies, which sold
for $56,000. Highlighting
furnishings from the
Romano estate was an RJ
Horner grandfather clock,
which also sold for
$84,000.
The
auction grossed $2.4
million. A complete review
of the auction will appear
in a future issue of
Antiques and the Arts
Weekly.
September
11, 2010 Antique
Estate &
Discovery Auction (At
Fontaine's) Floor,
Absentee and phone bidding Over 500 lots in
antiques and
accessories mostly from
local estates.
September
12, 2010 Military,
Antique Firearms & Antique
Discovery Auction (At
Fontaine's) Internet,
Floor, Absentee and phone
bidding Over 500 lots in
Civil War, military and
antique firearms.
September 25, 2010 at
10am Unreserved Antique
Estate Auction (At
Fontaine's) Internet,
Floor, Absentee and phone
bidding Over 650 items
to be sold in two sessions.
We will be selling a fine
Newport RI Ocean Avenue
Estate (Name withheld upon
request of heirs.) all items
have been moved to the
gallery for convenience of
sale.
November 13, 2010
Exceptional Cataloged
Antique Auction (At
Fontaine's) Internet,
Floor, Absentee and phone
bidding Over 400 lots of
antique furniture, lighting,
and accessories.
Consignments are being
accepted for this auction
call John Fontaine
413-448-8922 Antique
Consignments Wanted For
Fontaine's
Fall & Winter Auctions
This Fountain's Page Provides
Information about: Lighting by
Tiffany Lamps, Pairpoint, Handel,
Duffner & Kimberly, others;
19th century/historic lighting.
Site copyright 2008 All Rights Reserved Fontaine's
Auction Gallery Fontaine's Antique
Auction Gallery John Fontaine 1485 W Housatonic St Pittsfield, MA 01201 Phone:
(413) 448-8922 Email: Web:
http://www.fontainesauction.net
Domains owned by Fontaine Antique Auction Gallery
Fontaine's antiques auctions and fine Auction Gallery Berkshires MA Pittsfield
John Fontaine
-
Driving
Directions
range of quality
antiques Tiffany Lamps and fine art. After
35 years in the Antiques
Business Fontaine's prides
itself on Professional
Appraisals and Exceptional
Customer Service.
Our areas of particular
strength are: Lighting by
Tiffany, Pairpoint, Handel,
Duffner & Kimberly, others;
19th century/historic
lighting. 
comprise
a Tiffany shade are soldered
together with copper foil.
Original Tiffany lamps are
generally considered part of
the Art Nouveau movement,
and are considered one of
the best American
contributions to this
movement that began in
Europe in the late 19th
century. The first Tiffany
lamp was created in 1899
with a bronze base and was
designed by Louis Comfort
Tiffany. The record price
for an original Tiffany
Studios lamp at a public
sale exceeds US $8,000,000.
