Dogwood Lampshade Salesman's Sample Panel

• Opalescent glass
• No painting
• One Layer

Tiffany Studios created sample panels like this one so salespeople could travel around the country without having to carry bulky lampshades. Each panel consists of a design that repeats itself around the actual shade often from four to eight times. The panels represent the same unique glassmaking techniques contained within a completed shade. They also include the same range and intensity of colors that appear in the final product. These panels have the same high quality and dazzling appearance as other Tiffany works in glass.

Such sample panels are prized by collectors as beautiful miniature floral window compositions. They also document Tiffany’s retailing procedures. Few sample panels survive. This one was in the inventory of the Tiffany Studios showroom when it closed in 1933.

Special Features

• Most lampshades were fabricated using the copper foil technique, which is lighter and stronger than leading. Strength was needed to maintain the dome shape. The lead edging on this sample is unusual; usually copper wire or a brass rod was bent to follow the shape of the shade.