Tiffany Studios

Corinthian Studios, Los Gatos, CA
Sandra van den Broek, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner

William Feldstein, Jr. and Alastair Duncan, The Lamps of Tiffany Studios, New York, 1983, pp. 70-71
Alastair Duncan, Fin de Siècle Masterpieces from the Silverman Collection, New York, 1989, p. 36
Alastair Duncan, Louis C. Tiffany:  The Garden Museum Collection, Woodbridge, Suffolk, 2004, pp. 278-280
Martin Eidelberg, Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen, Nancy A. McClelland and Lars Rachen, The Lamps of Louis Comfort Tiffany, New York, 2005, pp. 20-21

Overall in very good condition. The shade with only 5 visible cracks to the glass tiles dispersed throughout. All of these hairlines appear stable. The rare "Crab" base is in remarkable condition. By all accounts the opalescent favrile glass blown through the base is original and undisturbed, showing no visible condition issues. The favrile glass with a few light surface scratches, and with a few small traces of surface reside. The patinated bronze surfaces of the base display a rich and satisfying brown patina, with some gentle rubbing and light surface soiling to the recessed contours consistent with age and very gentle handling. All of the sockets and paddle switches appear original and undisturbed. With a period finial that displays a closely corresponding patina to the base. An outstanding example, displaying one of the most desired shade and base pairings. The elegant coloration of the favrile glass blown through the base is particularly harmonious with the rich aqua border glass in the shade. The shade has a gorgeous, highly saturated glass selection and is distinguished by the use of textured rippled and "Drapery" glass to articulate the peony blossoms. When viewing this lamp firsthand, the colors are more saturated and nuanced than seen in the catalogue illustrations, which do not fully capture the richness and dimensionality of the glass.
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.

Tiffany’s interest in using nature as the foundation for his designs was supported by an extensive collection of photographs depicting various flora and fauna.  Many of these photographs were in the collection of Agnes Northrop, an influential artist and designer at the firm who was well known for her artistic window designs depicting natural imagery.  The archival photograph of peony blossoms from Northrop’s collection illustrates the expressive layering and texture of the flower’s petals in full bloom, which we see articulated in the spectacular, richly saturated glass of the present Peony lamp. 

The essence of the peony blossom is artfully captured through the dynamic interplay of color and form.  The vibrant orange and green background glass provides vivid contrast to the deep magenta and rose tones of the striated peony petals, highlighted with bright accents of aqua.  The rare inclusion of textured drapery glass used in the flower petals demonstrates a three-dimensional naturalistic treatment of the floral pattern. 

This sculptural quality extends to the extraordinary Crab base, which is executed in favrile glass blown into the reticulations of the bronze structure.  The blown glass displays an unusually elegant celadon green, which is in visual harmony with the warm tones of the gracefully proportioned shade above.  Three crabs encircled by an intricate network of braided rope ground the lamp’s overall composition and further emphasize the designer’s concern with form in the present lot.  Due to the highly detailed treatment of each crab’s anatomy, it is likely that the form was cast from nature—a testament to the firm’s unrivaled skills across media and commitment to naturalistic representation.

The Peony lamp demonstrates the fusion of two of Tiffany’s most cherished themes: naturalism and Eastern influence.  The peony flower held special resonance in Chinese culture during the fin-de-siècle period when Tiffany Studios first started producing the model around 1905.  Already by 1903, the peony blossom was declared the national emblem of China and was viewed as a signifier of strength of character in traditional Chinese and Japanese illustrations, in addition to its lauded medicinal qualities. 

In 1827, the Japanese artist Utagawa Kuniyoshiwas commissioned to create a series of woodblock prints to illustrate Shi Nai’an’s famous classical Chinese novel Shui Hu Zhuan (Water Margin) where images of peonies in the natural landscape were featured very prominently.¹  These ukiyo-e woodblock prints were widely circulated through the publication of this book both in Asia and Western Europe.  While the shade is deeply evocative of this type of Japanese and Chinese floral print, Tiffany reinterprets these traditional themes of balance and harmony in design into an innovative, American aesthetic.

¹ Yeanna Wu, "Full-Length Vernacular Fiction," in Victor Mair, ed., The Columbia History of Chinese Literature, 2001, pp. 627-629.