TIFFANY STUDIOS | “Cypriote” Paperweight Vase

John and Katsy Mecom Collection, Houston, Texas
Sotheby’s New York, The John and Katsy Mecom Collection, October 3, 1992, lot 387
Louis C. Tiffany Garden Museum, Japan
Michaan’s Auctions, Alameda, California, Treasures of Louis C. Tiffany from the Garden Museum, Japan, November 17, 2012, lot 123
Macklowe Gallery, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner

John Loring, Louis Comfort Tiffany at Tiffany & Co., New York, 2002, p. 147 (for a related example)
Alastair Duncan, Louis C. Tiffany: The Garden Museum Collection, Woodbridge, Suffolk, 2004, p. 255 (for the present lot illustrated)
Martin Eidelberg, Tiffany Favrile Glass and the Quest of Beauty, New York, 2007, p. 74 (for related examples)
Paul E. Doros, The Art Glass of Louis Comfort Tiffany, New York, 2013, pp. 144-145 (for related examples)

Overall very good condition. The present vase incorporates both the Paperweight and Cypriote glassmaking techniques which were perfected by the firm, culminated here in a highly unusual and complex design. The glass with scattered small air bubbles and particulate inclusions within the paperweight passages of the vase, inherent in the making and not visually detractive. As expected with the Cypriote technique, the exterior surfaces of the golden iridized Cypriote passages are wonderfully irregular and tactile showing some surface irregularities including a few minor burn marks to the iridescence and open air bubbles, all inherent in the making and decorative technique. The interior of the vase with a powdery surface texture that is inherent in the making and with some light surface soiling. Formerly in the collection of the Louis C. Tiffany Garden Museum, Japan, this lot is accompanied by its custom, velvet-lined Garden Museum box. An outstanding example showcasing Tiffany’s mastery of the Paperweight and Cypriote techniques, executed in a highly complex and nuanced palette. Please feel welcome to contact the department for additional images of this vase.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Paperweight vases produced by the Stourbridge Glass Company and its successor, Tiffany Furnaces, first appeared around 1899.  Many of the initial efforts, while attractive, exhibit visible technical flaws that indicate the difficulty the glassblowers had in creating the decorative effects desired by Louis C. Tiffany.  These difficulties were resolved in a remarkably short period of time and the gaffers soon acquired the confidence to experiment and expand their repertoire.

This present example vibrantly exhibits the experimental nature of some of the more unusual types of paperweight pieces.  In this case, the inner and outer layers of clear glass, both somewhat thicker than normal, encase an abstract design of looped swirls in shades of green, brick-red, brown, white and blue.  The interior has a bright gold iridescence, small sections of which sparkle through the swirls.  Additionally, the outer layer was covered with wide, irregular patches of swirled iridescent gold glass on top of which was sprinkled a small amount of potassium nitrate.  This created a pock-marked “Cypriote” finish, an effect rarely seen on paperweight vases. 

The exterior iridescence on the Cypriote sections is particularly interesting.  Tiffany’s technique of applying iridescence was to use fumes of metallic salts in reduction ovens in which the oxygen levels were significantly diminished.  Blowtorch-like devices were used to eliminate as much oxygen as possible and it is likely this vase was placed too close to the flames, causing violet, blue and gold hot spots.  Many glasshouses would have been upset with this apparent flaw, but for Tiffany it was an accidental enhancement that only increased the vase’s uniqueness and beauty. 

—Paul Doros