Hobbies And Interests
Price Range
Lampshades are made of glass and metal, or even cloth and paper. A lamp with a pair of painted tin shades and adjustable candleholders can retail for $1,200. An ornate example from Tiffany features an iridescent favrile glass chimney on top of very tall sinuous metal legs. Tiffany produced favrile glass candle holder lamps that can sell for $1,500 to $1,800 or more. At the opposite end of the spectrum, a heavy painted brass candlestick with frosted glass shade is available for less than $10 on a site like eBay or BizRate.
Candle Shades
The shade is an essential part of the candle holder lamp. Victorian ladies made an art of creating their own cloth and paper lampshades. The strong light of the new electric lamps inspired similar pieces for candles. Many were made of silk and chiffon, and heavily ornamented with crystal beads, artificial flowers and bows. The lamp shade derives from the earlier hurricane shade or lamp chimney. Etched glass shades often covered the candles of hurricane lamps. Authentic examples from the mid-19th century can sell for $900 a pair.
Light and Decorative Elements
The same materials that decorate the candle holder lamp can also help to enhance the light it provides. A $1,250 Russian example from the early 19th century features long glass prisms that hang just below the shade. The prisms are set with ornamental designs and help to reflect and disperse the candlelight. The base of the brass candleholder is somewhere between the shape of a lamp and a candlestick. The flaring foot of the base also reflects light.
Lamp Base
Lamp bases are fashioned from many of the same materials as the shades and decorative elements. A hurricane lamp can often be made completely of glass. A tall blue glass example is transparent from the foot to the top of the chimney, and features fluting in the narrow lower portion of the chimney, and etching on the flaring upper portion. Apparently one piece, it is actually made up of two separate sections. Once an everyday hurricane lamp, it can still be purchased today for less than $20.
Potential
Old candle holder lamps can figure in almost any decorative scheme. Examples from the 19th century blend well with other period decor, or can serve as accents or conversation pieces placed amid objects of similar color or material. Tiffany glass is extremely collectible to. Favrile, and other examples, continues to climb in price while adding an artistic touch to more formal furnishings.