When you think of lighting and art, you might automatically think of gallery-style lighting meant to illuminate a painting or a photograph. It's easy to overlook the light fixture itself as a decorative object; but lamps can not only be an integral part of the décor, they can themselves be works of art. A classic example of the lighting fixture as a work of art is the Tiffany lamp.

The Tiffany lamp began as the brainchild of Louis Comfort Tiffany, son of the founder of the well-known jeweler, Tiffany and Co. Louis was already well-known for his stained-glass windows when the invention of the electric light bulb by his contemporary, Thomas Edison, inspired him to use left-over pieces of stained glass from his windows to create light-up electric art. He unveiled some of the first Tiffany Lamps at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, and his studio began manufacturing them commercially in 1895.

Although Tiffany has long been given credit for the elaborate Art Nouveau designs that marked the height of his lamps' early 20th century popularity, in February, 2007, the New York Times reported that historians had uncovered documents proving that the creative talent behind many of the more popular designs actually belonged to Clara Driscoll and the team of women she supervised, who worked for Tiffany in the uncelebrated role of “glass cutters.”

Regardless of who originated the designs, the Tiffany lamp is a timeless, still sought-after classic. Authentic originals have sold in auction for millions of dollars, and are exhibited in art museums all over the world. Fortunately, you don't have to be a millionaire or an art collector to enjoy the beauty of a Tiffany lamp in your own home. Licensed reproductions are still made today by manufacturers such as Meyda Tiffany, Dale Tiffany and Quoizel, offering the same quality of the originals at a fraction of the cost.