Tiffany and Handel Lamps

In my previous life, before writing, one of my side businesses was antiques.  I had partners but my favorite and kinda specialty was glass of any type. I absolutely love glass antiques, so when I came across an article about Tiffany and Handel lamps, I knew it would be the subject of today’s blog.

The first Tiffany lamps with domed shaped stained-glass shades were made in 1895.  They became very popular and very expenses.  In December of 1980 Christie sold the “Pond Lily” created in 1903 for over Three Million Dollars.

Because of their popularity, other lamp and glass companies adapted the idea of how the Tiffany lamps were made and began producing less expensive reverse-painted glass shades colored glass and metal-trimmed shades and copies of the originals. None are as expensive as the original Tiffany lamps today, but some of the wider produced are considered important and sell for thousands of dollars.

One of the first to produce less expensive replicas was Phillip Julius Handel who made lamps in Meriden, Connecticut, from 1893 to 1933, and his reverse-pained shade lamps are now selling for upwards to $8,000.00. Almost all of his lamps are signed on the inside of the shade and on the metal lamp base. Its worth is determined by the design on the shade and the shape of the bronze base.  Recently, a Pennsylvania auction house sold a signed Handel “Elephantine Island” table lamp with a bronze base held by three winged griffins (shown to the left).  The shade is a painting of the ancient Egyptian ruins on Elephantine, a small island on the Nile. The lamp sold for over Five Thousand Dollars.

I don’t have any Tiffany lamps but love vases and other glassware and have lots of it.  My business partners where great to me because I’d buy something and then my heart wouldn’t allow me to put it on display for sale, so it’d come home with me.  Every time I go near a garage sale, I slow down but turn my head the other way as a reminder that I have way too much antique glass now.  So far it’s working!

Now I ask you, do you have a favorite item you collect?  Do you have anything special that has been handed down for generations that you want to share with us? 

To two readers who leaves a comment, I will give them

an eCopy of Out of a Texas Night.

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30 thoughts on “Tiffany and Handel Lamps”

    • Hi Laura, well, I must admit that I collect dust and books, too! Aren’t Tiffany lamp beautiful. And, they have jewelry, too. Thanks for stopping by. Big hugs, Phyliss

  1. Collect heart-shaped items, but I’m particular about what I collect.

    I don’t have anything passed down through generations–my parents have those. I have a few quilts made by my paternal grandma and sock monkeys made by my maternal grandma.

    • Hi Denise, so good to hear from. you. Oh, heart-shaped items sounds beautiful. Are they shiny stones or something else? You’re fortunate to still have your parents to keep the family treasurers. Both mine and my husband’s parents have passed and we’ve inherited all of their stuff. My mother-in-law gave me a lot of her family things before she passed. I had my grandmother’s and aunt’s family beauties. I love quilts. Mother did a lot and now my only sister does them. I have done some and taught my oldest granddaughter to quilt. I have a huge Texas Star all pieced and about 1/3 quilted but not sure my fingers can do the actual quilting. Another writer you’re familiar with who loves and collects quilts is Jodi Thomas. That’s why they appears in her books so often. And, sock monkey sound so cute. I’ve seen some but really not familiar with how they are made. I know you cherish them since they were made by your grandma. Thanks for sharing and I hope you have a wonderful day.

  2. Phyliss I’m an antique junkie. I color salt and pepper shakers in the depression era, blue and white graniteware from the 1800. My collection lists is ever going. I loved this article. Thank you for sharing. Love you my sweet Texas friend.

    • Hi our precious Kansas treasure. I’m so happy you enjoyed the blog. When I saw the article, I knew right then I was going to blog on Tiffany. I have quite a few Depression Glass colored salt and pepper shakers, particularly green and blue, but I’ve collected a number of Fenton white patterns. Mother started and then I kept it up. I have two sets of dishes and I can’t even count the small serving dishes, toothpick holders, miniature sugar and creamers and on and on. My oldest daughter plans to take the Fenton white and paint her formal dining room a light blue and put the white sets on shelves in china cabinets she plans to build. I think that’ll be beautiful. The small things I’m talking about were called salesmen samples, so they are Mimi-dishes. Beautiful. Hey we’ve got to get together and hit some antique shops when we all have the time. My problem, I’m forbidding myself from buying anything else!!!!! Let’s see how it works. Take care my precious Kansas friend. Phyliss

  3. Some days I think I collect dust because everything I own seems to always need cleaning. I don’t have anything passed down from generations.

    • Hi Janine, so good to hear from you. I agree about the dusting. Where I live there’s lots of wind, thus tons of dust. We really dust every day, but I don’t. The wonderful gifts handed down, plus my own obsession with antiques, have given me more things to clean than I have time. I simply need to hunker down and do it. The housekeeper we had quit because I had too much stuff to dust. That’s the truth. Hope you have a wonderful week. Hugs and thanks for leaving a comment. Phyliss

  4. Quilts, Hull Brown drip, books, some pyrex (old blue) are a few things that I collect! Awesome lamps!

    • Hi Teresa, good to hear from you. I love quilts, as I wrote before. In the winter I replace my summer bedcovers with Quilts. Truly love ‘um. I also love Pyrex and I believe I have a Pinterest Page for favorite Pyrex. Like everyone my age, all of our mama’s had Pyrex. Hull Brown drip? I’ve got to check that out. I’m totally not familiar with it, so I’ve already jotted the name down, so I can look it up. Thanks for leaving a comment and I hope you have a great evening. Hugs, Phyliss

  5. Phyllis, I loved your article. I have a few pieces of Beleek China from my husban’s family and now I would purchase every piece I could. When I do get to go to Antique or Junk shops, I spend a few minutes looking at the furniture but much more time looking at the glassware hoping to find a piece of Beleek. So far no luck. We must share a love of glass because my other collections are angels and unicorns. Right now we are downsizing preparing to move to a smaller house and my treasures are being packed away and I won’t see them for over a year. It will be like Christmas when I get to unpack them again.

    • Hi Cricket, so good to hear from you. Beleek China is going on my list of antiques to check out, as I’m not familiar with them, but I bet they are beautiful. I also like to look at antique furniture. I’m looking for a 1800’s wooden china cabinet to put on my front porch, so I can store my flower planting supplies. I think vases and planters would look cool on the shelves between the cabinets. I love angels and unicorns. Great collection items. I’m sorry you’re downsizing, but can only imagine how much fun it’ll be to open your boxes when it’s time and see things you packed and haven’t seen in a while. I hope you have a wonderful evening. Big hugs, Phyliss

  6. Good morning! Awesome blog! I have a lamp that I need to figure out if it is worth anything. I used to collect tons and baskets but I’ve moved so many times in my life and after have children I can’t even tell you what happened to them all. They were probably used outside in the dirt, found their way to the woods etc. I love to browse antiques stores, Resale shops and yard sales! My girls and I like to do those things more than any other entertainment!

    • Hi sejoc1968, glad you stopped and read my blog. I think the lamps are truly awesome. I have several “Gone with the Wind” lamps, which have the glass chimney in the middle, big half globe and a beautiful bottom on metal feet. I know that isn’t a very good description, but I love them. I didn’t have much trouble with our daughters, but man when the grandson’s came along they didn’t care whether they used a wooden spoon or a silver one to dig with. I’ve found plenty of antiques in my yard. I think it precious that you and your girls like to go to resale shops and yard sales. That really neat. Flea markets are fun, too.

      • Okay, let’s may the whole lamp I described a non-issue. It’s the hurricane lamp that everyone has seen hundreds they would recognize. Sorry!!!! My mind in these days of quarantine has one out of commission.

  7. Those lamps are sooooo beautiful! I have several kerosene lamps from grandma’s on both sides! I love them because you can actually use them!

    • Hi Teresa, good to hear from you. They really are beautiful, aren’t they. I think the kerosene lamps are also really pretty and I bet you enjoy yours since they belonged to the grandmothers on both side. Have a wonderful day. Hugs, Phyliss

    • Hi anon1001, good to hear from you. The lamps are really pretty, aren’t they. I’d sure like to have inherited the one I wrote about worth $3million. I don’t know if I could sell it or not … on second thought, oh yeah, I could sell it for that amount. If I had one that expensive I bet my kitty would want to explore and break it. She typically doesn’t get on tables, but she probably would to investigate such an expensive lamp. Have a wonderful evening. Phyliss

  8. The lamps are gorgeous and love the history! I have actually been trying to find “just the right” Tiffany lamp for my living room! Collections … I have way too many antique dishes, but I love them. Among those that are quite special is a plate that belonged to my great aunt who got it from her mother back in the late 1800s. I also have a plate my mom received as a wedding gift 70 years ago. And I have my granny’s set of china from the 1930s.

    • Hi sister Filly, thanks for reading my blog and leaving a comment. OMG, I wish I had a Tiffany lamp! I’m just glad to have the hurricane ones. Your collection sounds a lot like mine. In my china cabinet, I have the turkey tray, sugar and creamers and a couple of other pieces from all of my family and Bob’s mother. It’s so neat. Several eras. I used to use the milk glass dishes but stopped doing it because I’m so scared of dropping one. Oh gosh, Shanna, I think you and I could get along beautifully if we could ever get together and talk antique dishes … and we get along beautifully anyway. The wedding gift plate from your mom’s wedding gift sounds super special. I had a Granny and when I was preg with our first daughter, I got approval from all of my sisters to become Granny, so I’m Granny! I hope you have a wonderful evening and thanks for dropping by. Hugs, Phyliss

    • Hi Colleen, that’s so cool. I think horse statues would really be a great collection item. We have several cedar chests from family members. I’m the oldest, so I got dibs on things. LOL Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. I hope you have a wonderful evening. Big hugs, Phyliss

  9. I collect pitcher/bowls, and was trying to get a set from every state. The downside is I didn’t label the sets when I get them, so I have no idea where all I got them. I have so many, most are packed away and in storage. I also collect stuffed puppies, some I have that are breakable. Again the majority of my collection is packed away. My dog collection started in 1968, when my dad bought me an orange dog to give me while I was in the hospital. I still have him.
    I also collect books, and dust.

    • Oh my gosh, Veda, I can’t imagine collecting pitcher/bowls from every state; however, Mother did get small plates she’d hang on the wall with the state and something special from it painted on. I’m now wondering if they are still in the attic at her house that my nephew lives in. Oh stuffed puppies, so cute and the reason you began is absolutely precious. I bet you still have the orange dog. Yep, all of us writers and readers collect lots of books and everyone dust. So glad you stopped by and I hope you have a wonderful evening. Hugs, Phyliss

  10. I can relate completely. I was never into antiques until we got married. We attended auctions to furnish our house with good quality solid wood furniture. We did pretty well for ourselves at auctions, yard sales, junk stores and an occasional antique store. At one auction, we got a nice Eastlake oak bed with matching mirrored dresser, lovely carved oak side table, oak caned seat captain’s chair, marble topped walnut dresser, untouched 1865 family bible, two wash bowl and pitcher sets, plus a bunch of other odds and ends. We spent just under $300. I accidentally ended up with a lovely button collection. The auctioneer held up a stack of 4 old boxes and a button book. He only opened the small top box which had nothing but plain coat buttons. I bid $2 because no one was bidding and got it. As it turned out, the other boxes had buttons sorted by types. There was a card of about 20 carnival glass buttons for example. The book was printed in 1941 which is a good indication of when she was collecting. I knew nothing about buttons, but had fun learning about them.
    I stayed away from collecting glass because we were military and moving often. Since we retired and settled, I have gotten some family pieces. I have a pink Depression Glass cake plate and serving dishes that were my grandmother’s. My aunt gave me her set of dishes from their wedding. It is Carnival Glass and has pieces I never really saw before. It is a service for 8 with dinner and bread plates, small bowls, goblets, cups & saucers, butter dish, double candle holders, and serving bowls. The two most important pieces are my grandmother’s treadle sewing machine and the family cradle. The cradle is a platform cradle with spindles. She said it was from her uncle, so it is probably mid 1800’s. Our great grandchildren are the 6th or 7th generation to use it. There is a nice little embroidered quilt she made for it.
    We are at the point of having to reduce what we have and it is going to be difficult.

    • Hi Pat, good to hear from you. Your bedroom suite sounds absolutely breathtaking and then to find a Bible in it. Wow! It tells me it was something you had to have. We’ve been married 52 years and still have the bedroom suite we got before we got married. It’s an antique now, but wasn’t then. LOL I’d love to see your bedroom suite. An carnival glass buttons have to be exquisite. i love Depression Glass and have my share. Also, like you, lots of Carnival Glass. Oh, Pat the cradle and quilt sounds wonderful. Seven generations, WoW! I had my Granny’s treadle sewing machine. Thank you so much for dropping by and reading my blog and leaving a comment. I’m so impressed with your collection that I want to come see you! Thanks again and I hope you have a wonderful evening. Hugs, Phyliss

  11. I collect one particular ceramic vase from an Ohio company that has been defunct for many years. Since I happen to live in earthquake country I have to be careful about where I set them! I used to collect gourds, both decorated and undecorated but finally decided I have enough but as far as ‘my’ vase…I’ll never have too many…

  12. Our dining table, that is our everyday table, came from the rafters of what my husband’s family calls “the bunkhouse”. It was put in storage when the family got a new table in 1924. Our table is oak and can be square or extended to about 5 ft,
    My brother-in-law did a lot of refurbishing on it and we have been using it since Christmas 1983. My sister-in-law has the “new table” which is a round oak claw foot.

    The lamps are gorgeous.

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