Early 20th-Century Gorham Leaded Glass Lamp

Appraised on: June 16, 2007

Appraised in: Baltimore, Maryland

Appraised by: David McCarron

Category: Glass

Episode Info: Baltimore (#1201)

Originally Aired: January 7, 2008

IMAGE: 1 of 1  

Appraisal Video: (1:34)

GUEST: I purchased it in 1979 at a stale auction, and, um, paid $2,100 for it. I always liked it, never knew much about it. Uh, couldn't find any signature or tag or anything on it. So, hopefully, you can tell me a little about it.

APPRAISER: I looked pretty carefully as much as I could within our time frame and couldn't find any signature or any mark. But this lamp is typical of a Gorham form lamp with a great leaded shade and a wonderful patinated bronze base. Now, when most people think of Gorham, they think of silver, but, in 1905, Gorham opened a leaded shade studio in Providence, Rhode Island. A lot of this has the taste of Tiffany. Which a lot of companies like Gorham did, or in their emulation of Tiffany.

GUEST: Right.

APPRAISER: They also rivaled the Tiffany lamps for ostentatiousness. They were the only company that ever came close to Tiffany on that level. They did concentrate on extraordinary craftsmanship. The quality of the glass is top rate. The quality of the metal work is top rate, and the base is a first-rate patinated bronze base. Also very much in the Tiffany mode.

GUEST: Right.

APPRAISER: This tree-form base. Now, you said you had paid $2,100.

GUEST: Right.

APPRAISER: This lamp, I would estimate at this point, for an auction evaluation, $10,000 to $15,000.

GUEST: Well, that's what... That's what I was hoping to hear.

APPRAISER: Maybe a few years ago, they... it might have even brought more, but the market is slightly soft on that right now.

GUEST: Right. Yeah.