By Reyne Haines
One of the questions I get asked all the time is, ?How can I tell an authentic piece of Tiffany glass from a fake??
Well, if it was that easy, none of us would be fooled. There is no one magical phrase I can tell you that will
save you from being taken, but there are a few tips I can share with you to help you be on the look out for
?Tiffanyesque? items.
Louis Comfort Tiffany began producing his favrile glass (favrile meaning hand made) in
1885 under the company name Tiffany Glass Company. In 1892 it became Tiffany Glass & Decorating Company.
In 1902 it was Tiffany Furnaces and finally in 1920 it became Louis C. Tiffany Furnaces, Inc.
Tiffany was not the only glass genius producing iridescent wares during this time. His largest competitor was
Frederick Carder of Steuben Glass in Corning New York. Another designer across the pond was the Austrian firm, Loetz.
Beginning collectors often assume if it?s green and iridescent, it?s Loetz. If it?s gold and iridescent, it?s Tiffany. Not always so.
With that being said, one of the first tips I can offer would be to study examples of Tiffany glass, and also his competitors.
Some shapes are similar, but the coloring, the iridescence and the decoration can be the giveaway.
All gold iridescence is not made equally. We see this even in early Steuben. Steubens gold aurene and blue aurene
vases that were made early on (having 3 digit shape numbers on the base) have a more silvery iridescence, while
the later designs offered a more brassy iridescence.
A Tiffany gold favrile vase, and a Steuben gold aurene vase, while might be similar in shape, are vastly
different in color. It becomes easy to distinguish when placing one next to the other.
Over the years I have seen Tiffany glass signed Steuben, Loetz glass signed Tiffany, and Steuben glass signed Loetz
and or Tiffany. There was a good array of Steuben glass and Loetz that was sold unsigned. This leaves a blank
canvas for less than honest individuals to take what is an old piece of glass, and perhaps enhance its value by
giving it signature credibility.
?What we have here is a signed Tiffany blue favrile vase.? What is wrong with this statement? When someone
offers you something as a ?signed? Tiffany blue favrile vase?they are not warranting it to be authentic, they are
just saying it is signed Tiffany.
Signatures are the easiest part of a reproduction. You can add a signature to anything, but it does not make it
authentic. Again, the statement ?Buy the glass for its quality, not for how it is signed? comes into play.
People might add signatures to things are hoping to find someone with enough knowledge to be a danger to themselves.
You recognize the name, know they made glass with these characteristics; therefore, it must be authentic.
Let?s talk about a few key points with Tiffany signatures. There is no one simple way Tiffany glass was signed.
Some offered paper labels (hence some pieces being without a signature). Paper labels are currently being reproduced
and added to pieces that are not Tiffany. Be leery of glass with a paper label until you become more familiar with
Tiffany glass. Some offer an L.C.T. only, some are L.C. Tiffany Favrile, Inc or deviations of that signature, and
some are Louis C. Tiffany Favrile Inc. Some have numbers. Some have numbers with a letter prefix, some with a
letter suffix. The number and letter do not signify a shape or model number.
Signatures 9 times out of 10 are etched on the underside base counter clockwise If you turn a piece over and look
at the base, you will see the signature under the center pontil going from left to right. There are exceptions
to every rule, but this is what you will find on the majority of pieces made.
Some books have reported that all Tiffany pontils are polished. This is not true. There are some cases, usually
candlesticks and floriforms, where you will find rough or broken pontil marks. The more common pontil is a nice
round polished pontil. There are also button pontils. A button pontil is additional glass that is applied to a
rough pontil area, similar to that of a wafer.
Similar shapes have been made by Tiffany and his competitors. However, if you study similar shapes you will see
subtle differences. Tiffany forms are most often free form, or organic. Steuben shapes appear to be more contrived.
This brings me to my final note. Not all misattributed glass is old. In the 1970s we began to see a resurgence of
iridescent contemporary glass available on the market. Most was made in the California region. Lundberg Studios
and Orient & Flume, both still in business 30 years later and producing iridescent and paperweight type glassware.
The iridescent wares produced by both companies are easy to spot by seasoned collectors, but new collectors beware.
Many unscrupulous sellers over the years have polished off the original signatures by the makers, and added
signatures that resemble those you would find on an authentic Tiffany piece.
By arming yourself with information, you can avoid being taken by these modern day look alikes. You can visit both
companies? websites to see what is in current production, and spend some time viewing eBay and or other online
websites offering vintage pieces for sale. Once you have a feel for the shapes, decorations and colors, you?ll
be able to avoid making the mistake of purchasing one of these in an estate sale or shop.
In the meantime, the best means in purchasing items for your collection is to buy from someone you know and trust.
Recommending Reading:
Louis C. Tiffany: Glass, Lamps and Bronze by Robert Koch
Rebel in Glass by Robert Koch
Websites:
Lundberg Studios
Orient & Flume
Phoenix Studios
© 2007 Reyne Haines
About the author:
Reyne Haines is an apraiser of art glass and has been buying and selling Art Nouveau glass since 1991. She is the founder of JustGlass.com
