Tiffany Studios

John Loring, Louis Comfort Tiffany at Tiffany & Co., New York, 2002, p. 6 (for the present lot illustrated)

Overall in very good condition. The gilt bronze surfaces throughout retain a rich patina, showing rubbing, a few scattered light surface scratches and light surface soiling to some of the recessed contours of the design consistent with age and gentle use. The bronze surfaces with a few small and minor areas of discoloration that appears consistent with age and use. The enamel portion of the frame displays brilliantly saturated tones with very nice luminosity that further heightens the delicate sculptural border. Each color shows slightly less saturation when viewed first hand in comparison to the catalogue illustration. The enamel with some minor rubbing and minute losses concentrated to the high portions of the design. The reverse with a few areas of minor discoloration, scattered surface scratches and areas of light rubbing to the patina along the lower edge. The reverse appears to retain the original easel stand, sliding back plate and associated hardware. Lacking the glass. A particularly rare jewel-like frame displaying impressive scale, a variety of saturated colors and intricate detailing to the decorative scheme. -----
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.

INTRODUCTION:

The art collection of Jules and Gladys Reiner is among the most sophisticated and important groups of modern pictures and decorative arts to come to market.  During the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s Mr. and Mrs. Reiner, who carefully made every decision in partnership with one another, amassed an array of museum-quality paintings and decorative arts from renowned galleries as well as directly from artists’ studios.  They formed relationships with some of the most prominent artists, dealers and curators in New York.  Frequently they were spotted with their two daughters at the salesrooms at Parke-Bernet, selectively competing for the highest-quality pieces available in major auctions.

Their younger daughter, Wendy, recalls following the Parke-Bernet auctions with her personal catalogue from the age of five. She stated most recently at her mother’s funeral that “her mother taught her how to appreciate beauty in life.  She could never look at a painting or a single object without remembering how her mother had the highest appreciation for good design and instilled that love of beauty in her.”

Jules Reiner was a New York attorney as well as a commercial real estate broker who owned and managed his own Madison Avenue firm, Reiner Realty Company.  In 1948 he married Gladys, with whom he shared an impeccable taste for extraordinary modern design. Their passion for collecting Tiffany and Art Nouveau began in 1964 when they purchased their very first piece of Tiffany glass from a small antique shop in New Hampshire.  In time, as their passion and expertise grew, they developed close relationships with many of the early pioneering Tiffany dealers, notably Lillian Nassau, Beatrice Weiss, Robert and Gladys Koch, Lloyd Macklowe bad Minna Rosenblatt. 

The Reiners’ pursuit of only the very finest material led them across the United States and Europe.  They met numerous artists, among them Andy Warhol, Giorgio de Chirico, Edward Hopper, Joseph Cornell, Grandma Moses, Irene Rice Pereira, Giacomo Manzu, William Zorach and Chaim Gross.  With a discerning eye, they purchased major Modern and Surrealist paintings including Dorothea Tanning’s The Magic Flower Game and Heinrich Campendonk’s White Tree, which were recently sold on November 6^th in Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art Day Sale, alongside Max Ernst’s Ohne Titel and Giorgio de Chirico’s Piazza d’Italia, a picture they acquired directly from the artist when visiting him at his home in Rome while on a vacation with their two young daughters.

This very keen sense of the connoisseurship is unmistakably evident in the following lots.  Particularly notable is the stunning Tiffany Wisteria Lamp (lot 229), representing one of the most outstanding, artistic glass selections for this iconic model.  Equally impressive is the magnificent Parakeets and Cherries window (lot 228), as well as the range of extraordinary favrile glass including the ethereal Aquamarine Vase (lot 222) and the dazzling blue Jack-in-the-Pulpit Vase (lot 223).