The 25″ Mandarin Lotus lamp is a striking Tiffany Studios design. The shade represents the large saucer shaped leaf of a lotus plant floating on the surface of a pond. The base represents the slender stem of the plant tethering the plant floating on the surface to the pond’s bed. True to Tiffany’s design philosophy, the “leaf” is presented life size, and each lead line represents the veins of the leaf.
The large flat shade has an accordion pleated surface with 24 sections that divide and multiply toward the irregular lower edge. Every piece of glass in the shade is beveled to accommodate the pleat and reduce the lead line at the peak.
Each pleat in the shade is accentuated by a hand applied copper wire that is soldered in place. These wires begin at the top and continue to the lower edge. As the section divides, additional wires are positioned until the apex of every pleat is enhanced. With the accordion pleats, the wire enhancements, and the irregular lower edge, the Mandarin Lotus shade is one of Tiffany Studios’ most unique shade designs.
Like the shade it supports, the Mandarin Lotus base (29″ tall) has a distinctive flair. The large flat pad reflects the shape of the shade and stabilizes the lamp. The base ascends from a stylized plant bulb with a slender stem that divides to form a cage around the six light cluster. This lamp was commissioned by a client in Florida.
