The Artistry of Tiffany

Selected from a prominent private American collection, these objects superbly epitomize all the characteristics that have brought Louis Comfort Tiffany such incredible fame. Tiffany was born in 1848 with, as he liked to say, a gold spoon in his mouth. His father was Charles Tiffany, one of the co-founders and later the principal owner of Tiffany & Company, the world-famous silver and jewelry firm. As the first son, it was fully expected that Louis would eventually follow his father into the business. Instead, in 1866, he moved to New York City and studied painting with the intention of becoming a professional artist. He was praised as a superior colorist, but by the end of the decade, Tiffany's talent was being questioned, and seeing that he was never going to achieve fame as an artist, Louis decided to enter the field in material decorating, a radical and risky move, but he sincerely believed he was the best candidate to be America's preeminent tastemaker. Despite general acclaim for the company's work, Tiffany still felt he wasn't influencing a wide enough audience. So he decided it was time for another career change and chose to enter the rapidly growing stained glass window business and established the Tiffany Glass Company in 1885, which became the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company in 1892, and finally, Tiffany Studios in 1902. Tiffany's leaded glass lamps, which first appeared in the early 1900s, were a natural offshoot of his stained glass windows, and we have several outstanding examples in the upcoming auction. Louis Tiffany was very familiar with the Japanese decorative arts, and he even collected a large number of these objects for his personal collection. It is therefore not surprising that he created lampshades featuring peonies, a flower long treasured in Japan. Tiffany Studios first introduced the model prior to 1906 and continued making it into the early 1920s, and we are offering two wonderful examples. The table lamp was the first major lamp to enter the private collection, and it was followed just one year later by the stunning peony floor lamp. It's obvious to see why the collector so desired them. Both lamps capture the essence of Louis' unerring quest for beauty, his love of flowers, and the coming together of glass and design. The snowball table lamp is much more subtle in its colors than the two peonies, but is equally beautiful. Although this model has long been considered to represent a hydrangea, it's very likely Tiffany intended it to depict another flowering shrub, the viburnum. The shade certainly owes much of its design to the firm's better-known wisteria and laburnum lamps with their irregular lower borders. The large white blossoms in this example are perfectly complemented by the surrounding rich green leaves and bright blue background. The daffodil lamp was widely produced between 1904 and 1924 and was one of Tiffany Studios' most popular models. The reasons for its popularity are clear when taking a close look at the example being offered. The large, open yellow blossoms gently cascading downwards and among mottled green leaves on a background that gradually darkens from top to bottom creates a wonderfully naturalistic scene. And the base makes this a truly special lamp. Glass bases are rare to begin with, and those that do exist are almost always composed of green glass. For this lamp to have a blue glass base that so beautifully complements the background of the shade makes for an extraordinary combination. Tiffany Studios' blown glass has long been overshadowed by its more renowned leaded glass lamps and windows. However, Louis Tiffany was probably most proud of and best loved the blown glass vases that his glasshouse first produced in late 1893. We are delighted to be able to present an exceptional selection of blown glass pieces. The two Tell el Amarna vases, one green and the other blue, are beautifully offset with contrasting applied necks decorated with iridescent gold zigzags. Red is an exceptionally difficult color to produce in glass, but the two pieces being offered aptly demonstrate the glasshouse's mastery. Another vase, an aquamarine glass, marvelously reveals the supreme skill of Tiffany's glassmakers. The ability to enclose a large, complex design within such a thick, heavy column is a sign of a master craftsman. Finally, the two paperweight vases being offered are prime examples of the technique. The iconic Morning Glory vase, with its variegated purple blossoms among brown streaked leaves and vines is truly a painting in glass. And the Shasta Daisy, with its graceful shape and profusion of delicate flowers, is equally artistic. I hope you have enjoyed this brief introduction to our Artistry of Tiffany auction. It would be my pleasure to further discuss this phenomenal collection when you visit our gallery during the viewing that runs from December 12th through December 16th.