Tiffany Studios

with a "Tree" base

Toll Family Collection, Denver, Colorado, circa 1905
Thence by descent

William Feldstein, Jr. and Alastair Duncan, The Lamps of Tiffany Studios, New York, 1983, pp. 36-37
Alastair Duncan, Fin de Siècle Masterpieces from the Silverman Collection, New York, 1989, p. 40
Alastair Duncan, Louis C. Tiffany: The Garden Museum Collection, Woodbridge, Suffolk, 2004, p. 293
Martin Eidelberg, Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen, Nancy A. McClelland and Lars Rachen, The Lamps of Louis Comfort Tiffany, New York, 2005, pp. 106-107 
Martin Eidelberg, Nina Gray and Margaret K. Hofer, A New Light on Tiffany: Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany Girls, London, 2007, p. 48

Overall very good condition. When viewed in person the shade presents with brighter, more opalescent passages of white wisteria blossoms compared to the catalogue illustration. The blue and purple wisterias are overall slightly cooler in tone compared to the catalogue illustration, and are articulated in an assortment of mottled, striated, and select transparent glass tiles in a range of cobalt, cerulean, indigo and warm purple hues. The shade with approximately 40 cracks to the glass tiles dispersed throughout, which is a relatively low number in proportion to the vast number of glass tiles (approximately 2,000) required to execute this complex and monumental shade. All of these hairlines appear stable. With some gentle rubbing to the high points of the shade armature. The “Tree” base displays exceptional quality to the casting, and the branching on the lower base cushion is particularly sculptural and well defined. The base with occasional very minor surface scratches, abrasions and minor rubbing to the high points of the design consistent with age and gentle use. The bronze with some occasional and very minor traces of oxidation and surface soiling. All of the sockets and base switch appear original and undisturbed. A stunning example of the model displaying a highly naturalistic glass selection that evokes the sensibility of dripping Wisteria clusters on the vine. The glass selector thoughtfully articulated each Wisteria cluster with subtly varying hues and weights to enhance the dimensionality and visual movement of the subject.
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.

The iconic "Wisteria" table lamp model was not only Clara Driscoll’s most ambitious work for Tiffany Studios, but also her most successful. It is painterly yet sculptural; impressionistic yet conventionalized. It represents the confluence of a multitude of influences and inspirations drawn from art, the natural world, and surely from Tiffany’s own exceptional glass. The model required incredible skill and artistic vision of Tiffany’s glass-makers and cutters in order to articulate the lush, dripping wisteria blossoms in nearly 2,000 individually cut and selected glass tiles.

True to nature, the "Wisteria" is generally executed in a blue and purple palette, extending occasionally into pink and aqua.  However, such a complex design afforded Tiffany’s craftsmen with ample opportunity to experiment with color. Therefore we often see a wide range of "Wisteria" shades. Some evoke mature, deeply saturated blossoms; others are gentler with soft colors calling to mind the first blooms of spring. The present "Wisteria" touches both ends of the spectrum, with rich cobalt, amethyst and ultramarine, contrasted with pale lavender and pearly white. The overall effect achieved is that of layers upon layers of wisteria blossoms as they would occur in nature, receding into space and cascading with dynamic, graceful irregularity.