Posted by Rudy Veraar
on December 29, 2025
The Pond Lily Lamp (also known as the water lily lamp or Lily Pad lamp) is one of Tiffany Studios' most celebrated designs. The design won the prestigious Grand Prix at the 1902 Turin International Exhibition and is considered the ultimate example of the fusion between art and function.
Integration: Where Base and Shade Become One
The Pond Lily is distinguished by the harmonious unity in which the bronze base and the glass shade together form a single sculpture. The base is shaped like lily pads floating on water, while the bronze stems reach upward to support the Favrile glass blossoms.
A Technological Pioneer
This design was only made possible by the arrival of the electric light bulb. Because electricity does not require an upward flame or a fuel reservoir, Tiffany was able to experiment with slender, drooping shapes. The flowers 'hang' downward, just as they do in nature, which was technically impossible with gas or oil lamps.
The Most Valuable Lamp in the World
The Pond Lily is extremely rare; only fourteen original examples are known to exist worldwide. Of these, five are housed in top museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Its exclusivity was confirmed in 2018 when an original example was auctioned at Christie's for a record-breaking $3.37 million.
[Image detail of the bronze base of the Pond Lily lamp, showcasing the lost-wax casting technique]
Craftsmanship in Bronze and Glass
For the shades, the studio used iridescent glass to mimic the pearlescent sheen of real water lilies. The base was cast using the complex lost-wax method (cire perdue), a sculpting technique that flawlessly reproduced every detail of the veins in the lily pads.
