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William Holland
Charleston, SC 29414
Tel: 610-470-5925
e-mail: bill@hollandarts.com

Revised 16 Jan 2025

For the Tiffany Collector
Some helpful tips about the following:

   
The FIRST picture is a bogus buckle stamped on the back, TIFFANY/NEW YORK and LALIQUE. The SECOND picture is one forged stamping on the back of a belt buckle. There is no doubt that these buckles are modern and not made by either Tiffany Studios or Tiffany & Co.

1. BRONZE BELT BUCKLES stamped Tiffany Studios, Tiffany & Co. or A.D.Nash.
There are very few absolutes in the Tiffany world. This is one: I have never seen an authentic belt buckle made by Tiffany Studios.
The "Tiffany" belt buckles, usually featuring logos or graphics of prominent companies or historical references were made in the late 1960's through the 1970's. (Tiffany Studios and its successor Tiffany Furnaces went out of business in 1933). The quality of the castings is very good, and they are now collectible, usually selling for between $5 & $50. But they were not made by our beloved Tiffany Studios.
There is a catalog called Accouterment Belt Plates, probably from the 1960"s. It claims to be published by Tiffany & Co., London, England. This catalog shows pictures and descriptions of many of  the belt buckles, including two pages on Ku Klux Klan buckles. There is no relation between this "company" and  the current firm Tiffany & Co.

  
Pictured: a good example of  a crummy repro, listed on ebay as "VINTAGE TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK BRONZE 3 " LION, You are bidding on this marked Tiffany Studios New York 3" long and 1 3/4" tall Bronze Lion...No damage",  by a seller with a positive feedback of 99.7% and 13,125 feedbacks. There is nothing "vintage" nor "Tiffany" about this piece.

2. BRONZE STATUES (also called METAL FIGURES and some may be described as PAPERWEIGHTS) .
The latest one that I saw was of an elephant. It looked like a Taiwan creation. They are stamped TIFFANY STUDIOS / NEW YORK with no numbers.
Tiffany did no bronze statues. You will occasionally find a figural lamp base, (one is shaped like a mermaid), some figural inkwells, maybe a candlestick or two and a few bookends with figures on them. The differences between real and China-produced should be obvious even to a beginner.

This is an authentic Tiffany signature from a genuine Tiffany paperweight. Note also the trademark Tiffany gold dore' finish. On the smooth bronze finished pieces the signature stamping wll be even more distinct..  

3. BRONZE FIGURAL PAPERWEIGHTS
The recasts are stamped TIFFANY STUDIOS / NEW YORK, sometimes with a number. Tiffany did make small bronze paperweights in both dark patina and gold dore' finish. They were small, measuring 1-4" in length. Most are pictured in my Tiffany Desk Sets book.
The casting and finish on the real paperweights is VERY fine: no rough edges, pockmarks or casting residue. The signature stamping is TIFFANY STUDIOS / NEW YORK and usuallys a 3 digit number. The markings are tiny, on the bottom, and the lettering is impressed (indented) into the metal. Only one animal, a bulldog, sits on a bronze platform. The owl stamping is on the side at the bottom.
The repros on those that have flat bronze platforms for the animal to stand on are not copies of a real paperweight. They look even cruder: the bottoms are not perfectly smooth and the finish is a little rough in spots. The fake signatures are usually raised letters in am indented rectangular box.

The first two pictures are forged signatures and fake paper label. Note the rough pontil on #2, another red flag. The THIRD picture is a good signature and you can see the silky look of the glass, even on the bottom of this vase.

4. TIFFANY GOLD COLORED GLASS VASES, SHADES  AND OTHER DECORATIVE OBJECTS.
Most Tiffany GOLD glass has a silky look and feel. The iridescent colors shade to pink, blue, purple and silver; not much green.
The repro gold pieces usually have a shiny surface, but no silky look and more green in the iridescence.
This is not gospel. There are exceptions. After examining the glass, look closely at the signature. Get to know good signatures by going to quality shows or reputable shops and examining the Tiffany pieces for sale. There are unsigned Tiffany pieces in all categories. Their value is determined by the quality and authenticity, not by a paper label or signature.
IMPORTANT: There are repro Tiffany paper labels, so if a piece has only the label and no signature, be extra careful. Tiffany was very good at polishing almost all of the pontils on his glassware and the bottom of the vase, etc., should have a finished look. As with most rules here, there are exceptions and a very few have been seen with rough pontils. Real Tiffany prisms that hung from lampshades, if laid flat on a table, have the two the angles of glass meeting at a distinctive top ridge. You see a lot of old prisms on ebay with a a rounded surface. Most, if not all are not Tiffany.

The FIRST pictured piece is a repro. It is not a Tiffany shape and see the greenish gold at the top--this color is rarely seen in real Tiffany blue glass. There are exceptions to this, especially on very large pieces. The SECOND picture shows a fake signature. Note how all of the letters jumble together. Compare it to those on known genuine pieces. The THIRD picture is of a fake jack-in-the-pulpit vase. The shape is wrong, among other things. The FOURTH picture appears to be a real Tiffany bronze vase bottom with a custom, probably new blue glass top. 

5. TIFFANY BLUE GLASS.
There are good copies of Tiffany blue glass. The repro iridescence looks almost identical in many cases. The signature, shape, construction and quality are the best ways to authenticate any piece in blue.

6. TIFFANY MOSAICS.
A very rare item, indeed. It is unlikely that you will see many mosaic items on ebay or elsewhere. Be wary of  Tiffany planters and trays with mosaic inlay, and especially wary of  lamp bases.
There are some Tiffany Furnaces ENAMEL bases, candlesticks and desk pieces. These are more common and I have not seen any repros of these items. Don't confuse them with the mosaic pieces.
Ebay example: a TIFFANY TRAY WITH MOSAIC INLAY. This was an authentic 12" round tray in gold dore', properly stamped, BUT someone had glued a mosaic design in the bottom of the tray.

The FIRST picture is from an ebay seller with a feedback rating of +1337. Here is part of their listing:  "Awesome 1800's Bronze Tiffany Floor Lamp, Our history: we have been selling on e-bay for several years and are knowledgeable antique dealers who offer quality, authentic antiques which are usually Art Nouveau and Art Deco." The seller is in Las Vegas and offers no return policy or guarantee information in the listing. Just one example how motivated sellers will use the Tiffany name to sell anything. The SECOND picture is an old "other maker", possibly Riviere, grapevine panel shade with a new Tiffany tag soldered onto it. The filigree is markedly different from Tiffany's and the side panels are too tall.

7. LEADED LAMPS.
In addition to all that I said above, remember that leaded shades are the most common repro item out there. They have been made for the past 50 years, and exact molds are sold that show the size and shape of each piece of glass to make construction and assembly easy.
The key is in the quality of the leading and, more importantly, the glass. Most Tiffany glass is distinctive. It takes time and effort to "learn the glass".
Visit museums and shops, look at the lamps lit and unlit. Buy books. All Tiffany glass is not gorgeous and fabulous, and Tiffany used glass by other makers, if it suited a specific purpose.
I have seen some authentic Tiffany lamps made almost entirely from non-Tiffany glass. They will usually sell for less money, because they are not as "pretty". The best advice on leaded lamps is: If you are unsure, get a return privilege, and have it examined by an expert. If the seller will not give you a return privilege, in writing, don't buy it. It is unlikely that you will find a $50,000 lamp for $14,000. It is more likely that it is a $2,000 repro.

       
The firstpicture is of a good desk piece stamping. Note the gold dore' finish on this bronze Zodiac piece. Tiffany used this finish extensively on desk pieces, candlesticks and lamp bases. No one is currently reproducing this finish with any accuracy, but there are alligator finishes that force you to always look closer. This is only one example of the desk piece stampings. The SECOND picture is an ''assembled'' scale. It consists of an authentic match holder bottom with an old non-Tiffany round scale and a fabricated zodiac sign top. The THIRD picture is of an inkwell with added blue top and attached metal knob--modern imagination. The FOURTH picture is a Non-Tiffany bronze box with a round iridescent jewel in the top. Note the fake signature on this box in picture number FIVE. The SIXTH picture is a paper tray, probably by Riviere Studios. Note the big ball feet and the heavier filigree, characteristic of Riviere. Picture number SEVEN is a fake metal Tiffany tag from the bottom of the tray in picture #7. Note the tag says "TIFFANY STUDIO" with maybe a half-hearted S at the end. The forger forgot to put the S in the original phony tag stamping.

8. TIFFANY DESK PIECES.
There are 24 regular patterns and some specialty pieces available. Be careful of  American Indian, Bookmark & Adam. There are close copies of these patterns made from 1905-1920 by Tiffany's competitors. The size, finish and markings are different when compared side by side.
Watch out for Pine Needle & Grapevine and other filigree over glass variants. Some are signed RIVIERE STUDIOS or APOLLO STUDIOS, and some have no signature. They did not stamp Tiffany's name onto their products, but some people are doing it today. These competitors also made desk and floor lamps in the same patterns.
The correct marking is TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK or the Tiffany Glass & Decorating Monogram.
There were some fantasy Venetian pieces made in the 1990's. They are almost all shiny gold. The casting of the ermines is a bit rough if you compare it to a real Venetian cast piece and the items, like a shoehorn, bell or bottle opener are not listed in any Tiffany books..
I have not seen repros of the heavy cast pieces, like Abalone and Zodiac. Here the only thing to ascertain is the condition of the piece.
There are some unsigned pieces, especially in Grapevine and Pine Needle--maybe 10% of the pieces in these patterns were not signed or have random numbers that do not correspond to the Tiffany Master List. There are fewer exceptions in the other patterns.
My Tiffany Desk Sets book isdevoted to this Tiffany realm with hundreds of pictures and detailed information.



The FIRST picture is an AUTHENTIC signature on a green Favrile shade. The SECOND and THIRD pictures are two variants, one by Buffalo Metal Works and both from the  late 1970-1980's. These is NOT  Tiffany copies, but many times you will see the Buffalo stamping ground down and a Tiffany signature added. All 6 shades are probably new. Buffalo used Zephyr Studios or Lotton art glass shades. The bottom part of the lamp approximates the bottom of a #419 harp  lamp base. The structure and twisting three-arm stems are ggood looking but not authentic creations. One lamp is also mis-identified in one of the Tiffany reference books. The FOURTH picture is a 3 light lily of unknown origin.

9. TIFFANY FAVRILE SHADES.
There are repros of  7" and 10" shades for desk and floor lamps. These look fairly obvious, when compared to the real thing. The coloring, design and "texture" differ from the originals.They are also quite heavy and need higher wattage bulbs to transmit light.
The Lundberg Studios 10" shade usually does not fit in the opening of a Tiffany harp floor lamp base. The are a true hemisphere and therefore too deep for the opening. A 9" shade was made which fits better if you can find one.
Lily shades are the closest copies, and since a large percentage of real lily shades were not signed, it makes authenticating them more difficult. See above under GOLD GLASS for some tell-tale differences.
Candle lamp shades are usually ok. There seem to be a lot of extras of them and I have never seen a repro candle lamp shade.
Most of the smaller shades, trumpet and bell shaped, that appear are not repro. They are either authentic Tiffany, or they are shades by other old makers (Steuben, Quezal, Lustre Art, Durand), sometimes with fake LCT signatures added. There are too many shapes and sizes to try and sort out these shades here.
Again, look at signatures, iridescence and reference the common shapes in the Tiffany reference books

The pictured base consists of NEW turtleback tiles and a NEW bronze casting. Note the inconsistent iridescence of the tile and the attempt to show wear and oxidation on the bronze--not typical of natural aging.

10. TIFFANY BRONZE LAMP BASES.
There are more lamp bases than shades. Even so, there are many repro bases with phony TIFFANY STUDIOS / NEW YORK tags floating around. Usually the patina looks too fresh or badly executed. Some are just spray painted.. When buying a base, examine every tiny detail. Are the sockets old or new? If they are old, are they are installed in new housings? Tiffany used mainly GE (G.E.Co.), Bryant, Perkins or Weber switches, and they all had screws holding the copper inside of the socket together. No rivets or aluminum were used.
Pull-chain switches are not common, but not unheard of. The housings should match the patina or finish of the rest of the base.
If a base has new or altered sockets, look even closer at the rest of the base.
Look closely at the decorations on the base. There should be a symmetry to tendrils and coil patterns. The casting should be smooth, with no rough or unfinished sections. Look for worn areas where it would have been picked up. Look for differences in patina on exposed areas vs. the bottom of the base. Look for proper wear on the feet or base. 

The first picture shows 5 views of a fake scarab paperweight. Note the greenish color,  which is typical of the repros. The second picture is of a real turtleback in a new mount. These fakes usually have four feet that are each mounted with two screws. They bear a fake Tiffany stamped mark and sometimes a number, too.

11. TIFFANY SCARABS & TURTLEBACKS.
There were a variety of real scarabs made by Tiffany Studios. Red, blue and gold were made in sizes from 1/2" to almost 2" long. There are repro scarabs in various sizes, usually in red and blue and now some in gold.
Buy these only from someone who either give creditable provenance or a good guarantee of authenticity. Beware of large quantities available at one time from one source.
Stay away from all glass scarab paperweights.
Those made with a turtleback tile on top are mounted atop a bronze bottom plate with or without feet. Many contain a real Tiffany tile with fabricated bronze work and screw-on feet.
The real turtleback tile paperweights are quite scarce. If you purchase one be sure to have it authenticated before the sale is finalized.

~
DISCLAIMER: This information is based on over 40 years of experience as a specialist in buying and selling items made by Tiffany Studios and Tiffany Furnaces. However, no one knows it all. The company made thousands of items over a 30+ year time span and occasionally, an unknown item will surface.
If I generalize, I believe my information is accurate in almost every instance. I am not responsible for the odd, special-order or rare item that does not fit into my classification. But, please let common sense prevail: if an item is so unusual or rare that it is not listed in the normal reference material, why would someone choose to sell it on ebay and not at Christie's or Sotheby's?
I make judgment calls from photos and descriptions on ebay. My assessment is almost always correct. The goal of this guide is to enable you to make the same judgments. If occasionally you or I miss out on a bargain, so be it. I try to err on the side of caution. If there is any doubt in my mind, then I will not bid or buy the item in question. This guide is written with that conservative philosophy in mind.

email: bill@hollandarts.com
CLICK below to visit my other web pages
Louis Icart Etchings-- Over 200 scanned pictures
Maxfield Parrish-- Art Prints, Calendars & More
Tiffany Desk Items-- Inkwells, letter racks, frames, etc.
Tiffany Lamps & Art Glass-- GENUINE & Guaranteed
Icart Erotic Etchings-- Over 100 scanned pictures
Boudoir Art-- by other Deco artists

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