Tiffany Studios

George Perkins, New York
Estate of Evelyn Scott
Bonhams, New York, December 17, 2008, lot 4094
William A. Richardson
Sotheby's New York, Masterworks by Tiffany Studios: The William A. Richardson Collection, December 13, 2017, lot 302
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Alastair Duncan, Tiffany Lamps and Metalware, Woodbridge, Suffolk, 2019, pp. 88, no. 338 (for the shade and base pairing) and 170, no. 688 (for the shade)

The rare “Gentian” table lamp model, presented here with an intricate “Indian Hookah” base, incorporates many distinguished features of Tiffany’s masterful production techniques and naturalistic aesthetic.  In this shade and base pairing, Tiffany shows his interest in representing imagery from the East.  The delicate blue gentian blossom is indigenous to temperate climates and is common especially in Asia. The reticulated design of the base has a complex and a highly crafted quality, evoking an Indian smoking pipe both in form and decoration.

By conventionalizing the motifs of both the shade and base, Tiffany employs an aesthetic vocabulary that creates visual harmony between the lamp’s elements.  The shade in particular strikes an exquisite balance between hard and soft, geometry and naturalism, with its gently unfurling petals articulated in a strict, concise mosaic.  The Turtle-Back border, comprised by leftover pieces from the studio’s laborious Turtle-Back chipping process, adds further visual interest.  This border, as well as the incredibly complex cast-bronze base, demonstrates the unparalleled skill of Tiffany’s craftsmen.