Glass light shades are noted for their decorative value in modern home decor. They first rose to prominence as an art form in the early 1800s when gas lighting was first invented. In addition, in recent years the antique business has burgeoned online through the introduction of sites like iGavel and eBay. These sites duplicate the function of big auction houses but are much more accessible to small time sellers and buyers. These facts are an indication of how buying an antique shade for one’s shade is both a good aesthetic investment as well as a financial one.
Buying furniture is often a losing proposition because it’s a large purchase that devalues quickly. On the other hand, a piece of antique furniture might even increase in value over time depending on the market conditions for that antique. The key is to invest in the right kind of antique. A proven class is the antique glass lamp shades which are a perennial favorite for collectors and enthusiasts. Knowing the types of glass lamp shades better will help an investor pick the right choice for both the sake of decoration as well as investment.
Lamp shades that follow the Victorian style became popular in the early 1900s. Although their popularity peaked in the Victorian age, they actually have a long history starting from the first gas lamp shades in the late 1700s. They were deeply appreciated for the safety they afforded to those who needed to travel around town at night, working late evenings in factories, or entertain themselves and guests at home after sun down. One of the most popular and canonical shapes of the Victorian shades was the globe or sphere that enveloped the gas flame. On the top was an opening that permitted the escape of gases or heat.
When real flames were lit in glass shades for lighting, a popular style was the chimney shade. The chimney shade also gave way to the hurricane shade. in both, there is a clear, thin and tall glass enclosure which helped feed air to the burning process and also kept out drafts.
Victorian shades also came in other shapes such as the hurricane shade or the dome shade. The exterior surface of the glass lamp shades were invariably decorated with ornate and intricate designs, oftentimes acid etched to produce a frosty appearance. The one constant is that the gas shades had a top opening for dissipating the gas and heat. Nowadays of course, the shade would be used with electrical bulbs making the hole merely decorative.
In the early 1900s, glass lamp shades designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany became a sensation in the design world. Tiffany came from a long family of designers, his father having started the famous jewelry store that now bears their name. He was claimed to have been inspired by the craftsmanship of old church windows that blended scenes outlined with iron rods and then colored with stained glass panes.
While Tiffany created a large number of his glass lamp shades that bear his name today, there’s also no end of a shortage of imitation products which are often denoted by the description “Tiffany-style”. Connosieurs may wish to pick up an authentic Tiffany, but will find them in extreme short supply. Some of them are even displayed in museums.
Glass lamp shades are good pieces for attracting attention and for being a topic of conversation. Many will find that the decor of a room can be centered around it. However, finding an antique shade can be quite expensive. The key element to keep in mind is that the antique retains value over time. The antique market does operate on cycles, but the history of antique shades has taught us that they have tremendous enduring value as long as we continue to illuminate our homes with such technology.
Additional topics and articles on glass light shade can be found at the site. The site talks about how to choose chimney glass shades.
