Lot 207
  • 207

Tiffany Studios

Estimate
40,000 - 60,000 USD
Log in to view results
bidding is closed

Description

  • Tiffany Studios
  • A Rare "Scarab" Humidor
  • impressed twice TIFFANY STVDIOS N.Y. encircling L.C.T. monogram and incised S/C2871
  • ash, mahogany, favrile glass and bronze
carved by Joseph Briggs, the front decorated with inset "Cypriote" favrile glass

Provenance

Alice Osofsky, Hewlett Bay, New York
Benedict Silverman, New York
Louis C. Tiffany Garden Museum, Japan
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Exhibited

Masterworks of Louis Comfort Tiffany, Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., September 29, 1989-March 4, 1990, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, April 12-September 9, 1990, Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Museum, Tokyo, Japan, January 12-March 17, 1991, Kobe City Museum, Kobe, Japan, April 6-May 12, 1991, Toyama Citizens Plaza, Toyama, Japan, June 30-July 26, 1991

Literature

Alastair Duncan, Martin Eidelberg and Neil Harris, Masterworks of Louis Comfort Tiffany, London, 1989, fig. 10 (for the present lot illustrated and related examples)
Alastair Duncan, Martin Eidelberg and Neil Harris, Masterworks of Louis Comfort Tiffany, exh. cat., Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Museum, 1991, nos. 69 (for the present lot illustrated) and 70 (for a related example)
Takeo Horiuchi, ed., The World of Louis Comfort Tiffany: A Selection from the Anchorman Collection, Nagoya, Japan, 1994, pp. 132 (for a related example) and 133 (for the present lot illustrated)
Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen, Louis Comfort Tiffany at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1998, p. 91 (for a related example)
Robert Koch, Louis C. Tiffany: The Collected Works of Robert Koch, Atglen, PA, 2001, p. 206 (for a related example)
Alastair Duncan, Louis C. Tiffany: The Garden Museum Collection, Woodbridge, Suffolk, 2004, pp. 356 (for a related example) and 357 (for the present lot illustrated)
Louis Comfort Tiffany: Couleurs et Lumière, exh. cat., Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, Montréal, 2010, p. 193, cat. 160 (for a related example)

Condition

Overall good condition. The humidor is richly carved and decorated, including an iridized oval cypriote glass tile measuring 2 1/8 x 1 1/2 inches inset within a burl, not visible in the catalogue illustration, which integrates harmoniously with the wood and adds wonderful charm and visual interest. The wood surfaces with scattered minor surface scratches and abrasions consistent with age and handling. The lower portion of the humidor with a vertical crack extending from the upper edge through the scarab’s left wing. With another vertical crack extending the height of the humidor adjacent to the scarab’s right wing. This crack has been restored at some point in the history of the piece and presents with a slightly different color and surface texture compared to the rest of the humidor. The area of the lower portion of the humidor between the scarab’s right wing and the burl with inset glass tile with some areas which have been touched up with lacquer, including a couple small areas above the burl. The mahogany underbase appears to have been reset at some point in the history of the piece and presents with some adhesive residue around the perimeter on the interior and exterior. The wooden edges of the humidor and lid surrounding the bronze ball hinge with some small chips and wear consistent with age and use. The front edge of the lid with a small loss measuring approximately 1/2 inch wide, barely visible when the humidor is closed. The interior of the humidor with surface scratches and wear consistent with age and use. The glass scarabs in good condition with minor light surface scratches and light surface soiling to the recessed areas. The scarab on the lid with an inherent surface irregularity on the upper portion of the body, not visually detractive. The lower scarab appears to have possibly been reset at some point in the history of the piece. The inset favrile glass tiles in good condition with light surface soiling around their perimeters. The bronze ball hinge with some surface scratches, abrasions, rubbing and discolorations consistent with age and use. The hinge moves smoothly but is slightly loose and as a result the lid moves slightly left and right, stable. Formerly in the collection of the Louis C. Tiffany Garden Museum, Japan, this lot is accompanied by its custom, velvet-lined Garden Museum box. A highly complex and beautifully executed design which embodies Tiffany’s passion for nature.
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.