The present pair of “Grapevine” windows have remained in the same house since their creation in circa 1902. The house was originally built for John J. Carroll, a local merchant and owner of the local Carroll’s Department Store in Newark, Ohio. Designed by architect Frank L. Packard in Ohio, the house and its floor plan were featured in an article in Gustav Stickley’s magazine The Craftsman in December 1907. Highlighting some of the architect’s recent commissions, the article heralded Packard as “one of the first of our American architects to blaze out new trails in the building of dwellings that should be characteristic of American taste and local environment, and suited to individual needs.” The house was situated amongst a fertile landscape of native shrubbery and trees, and also featured ample awnings and trellises on which vines could sprawl. The grapevine motifs adorning these casement windows delightfully echoed the surrounding environment, extending the beauty of nature into the home’s interior and demonstrating Tiffany’s unrivaled glasswork. Purple grape clusters peak through lush green leaves and vines that appear to grow organically along each window’s edges. The foliage is set against a nuanced sky whose hues of lavender, periwinkle and warm golden yellow evoke the glowing light at dawn or sunset. Passed down to Carroll’s descendants and later acquired by acquisition of the house, the appearance of this pair at auction presents an opportunity for Tiffany collectors to acquire an exquisite example of the firm’s leaded glass windows.
