Move over, Stanley Cups. It seems the latest objects taking TikTok by storm are Tiffany lamps. Yes, Tiffany lamps, designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany and colleagues between 1893 and the closure of Tiffany Studios in 1933.
Louis Comfort Tiffany was the son of the jeweler Charles Lewis Tiffany, who founded the stationery and fancy goods emporium Tiffany & Co. in New York in 1837. Tiffany fils became the company’s first official design director in 1902, after his father’s death, and led the business to international renown. Tiffany Studios (separate to Tiffany & Co.) produced lamps until his death in 1933.
Gen Z isn’t just coveting the physical lamps. Even tattoos of Tiffany designs are proving popular. Los Angeles-based tattoo artist Beth Mintzer—who has called her business Lamp Lady Tattoos to reflect the demand—told Elle Design, “I probably get around five lamp tattoo requests a month.” Wisconsin-based tattoo artist Audra Grosz added a Tiffany lamp design to her flash sheet (a way that tattoo artists show designs to their potential clients, for the uninitiated) at the end of 2023.
@santiagoinks I LOVE LAMP! I would really like to tattoo some more objects in this style. 🔥I still have a couple weeks in August available. DM me to schedule your appointment!🔥 #tattoo #lamp #tiffanylamp #tattooartist #realismtattoo #microrealism #fineline #finelinetattoo #tattooartist #artist #tattooideas #blackandgreytattoo #tattoostudio #professionaltattooartist #california #lighting #armtattoo #detail #dotwork #moody #art #artwork #drawing #illustrator #gothic #patchworktattoo #californiatattooartist ♬ The Lamp Is Low – Laurindo Almeida
Even the largest and most detailed of tattoos of one of Tiffany’s iconic lamp designs is a cheaper option than the real deal. The current auction record for a Tiffany Studio lamp was set at Christies New York in 2018, when a rare 1903 Pond Lily table lamp sold for $3.4 million. Other highly sought-after and valuable models include the Pink Lotus table lamp ($2.8 million), the Oriental Poppy chandelier ($665,000), and the Leaded Glass Aquatic Fish lamp ($160,000).
@stvalentstudio I have admired the beauty and craftsmanship of Tiffany stained glass lamps for so long and I almost cried when I got to see an original Wisteria lamp in person 🥹🤍 #foryou #fyp #stainedglass #stainedglassart #stainedglassartist #glasspainting #glassart #glassartist #artistsoftiktok ♬ Watch Kare Kano – ✩ Jordan ✩
Tiffany Studios stopped production of lamps in 1933, driving value up due to increasing scarcity. For fans in their teens and 20s, these items seem to be particularly appealing due to their sentimental, nostalgic value. One of Grosz’s clients told Elle that her Tiffany lamp tattoo was “for my late mother, who collected them and worked in an antique emporium.”
@kristina.allene A Tiffany lamp reproduction i found at Goodwill. 🥹💗 its kind of beaten up but idc. Lets call it character 😂 #tiffanylamp #thrifted #thriftedhome #thrift #homedecor #goodwill #homedecor #thriftedfinds #diyhomedecor ♬ Back It up and Dump It (Dump Truck) – GC Eternal & Kinfolk Thugs & TYME BOMB
Artist Autumn Casey—whose recent exhibition “Fantasy and Her Fantasies” at New York’s Future Perfect gallery played on Tiffany lamp designs—told Artnet News, “I grew up in South Florida and my knowledge of stained-glass lamps came from Pizza Hut and Applebee’s.” This fascination with the iconic items seems to have little to do with their monetary value, although one TikTok user did indicate, engaging with a viral meme format, that “if I won the lottery, I wouldn’t tell anyone,” but that “there would be signs,” revealing a slide of Tiffany lamps.
Tiffany Studios also produced stained glass windows, mosaics, and desk sets, all of which fetch high prices at auction and are considered highly significant in the history of design.
On March 21 Rago / Wright Auction House held its Art Nouveau and Art Deco Glass and Lighting sale, featuring historically significant pieces from Tiffany Studios as well as from Gallé, Daum, and René Lalique. The sale totaled $1.7 million, and Tiffany Studios highlights, all dating to around 1910, included a Lotus Pagoda table lamp (which exceeded its $150,000 low estimate to sell for $189,000), a Daffodil table lamp (which fetched $113,000 against a $60,000 high estimate), and a Dragonfly table lamp (which exceeded its $90,000 low estimate to go for $107,100).
“Tiffany lamps have been collected for generations,” Richard Wright, Rago Auctions CEO, told Artnet News. “Drawn from the natural world, the imagery, color and nostalgia factor continue to inspire broad interest. In our last auction, 100 percent of the Tiffany works sold, many above estimate, further demonstrating the lasting value and appeal of these works.”
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