Tiffany Mosaic Lamp Bases: Where Bronze and Glass Merge

In the most luxurious designs by Tiffany Studios, the bronze base was not an afterthought, but an integral part of the play of light. Mosaic lamp bases are masterpieces in which the base itself is inlaid with thousands of small pieces of Favrile glass.

Technique and Execution

The bronze was cast with recesses (depressions) into which the glass artists placed small glass stones (tesserae). In some models, such as the famous Pond Lily base, a light source was placed inside the base. This caused the mosaic to light up from within, creating a magical effect on the lamp's base.

Due to the enormous amount of manual labor involved, these bases were reserved only for the most expensive shades in the collection. Today, these objects are considered the absolute highlights of Tiffany's craftsmanship.

See also: How the base was cast using the Lost-wax casting method.