Tiffany Studios introduced the Bat Lamp around 1903 and only four original examples of this most unusual lamp are known. While Western culture often presents bats as harbingers of evil, Japanese culture associates bats with happiness, a long healthy life and wealth, and Native American Culture views bats in a spiritual light, symbolizing acute powers of perception, rebirth (emerging from and returning to their cave or womb nightly), and journeying.
The 17″ Bat shade has three bats flying against a clear, starry night sky. The rich deep amber tones of the bats are set against a brilliant deep blue glass with hints of purple streaked throughout. The bodies of the bats are accentuated with cast bronze overlays. The unusual lobed shape of the shade adds visual interest.
The Bat Mosaic base was designed by Tiffany Studios specifically for this shade. The base is cast in bronze at our studio and is finished with hand applied glass mosaic. Following the design of the shade, the base has three bats in flight at the against a glass mosaic sky. The glass mosaic in the base is cut and fit by hand using reflective blue lustre glass with a purple tinge in the iridized surface that perfectly compliments the sky glass used in the shade.
This Bat Lamp was created as a showroom piece and is now in a private local collection.
