Tiffany Studios

Joseph and Lillian Mihalak Collection, Pontiac, Michigan
Christie's New York, Magnificent Tiffany Lamps: The Mihalak Collection, March 22, 1980, lot 4
Joel Schur, Los Angeles
Christie's New York, Important Art Nouveau: The Joel Schur Collection, December 14, 1985, lot 34
The Geyer Collection
Sotheby's New York, The Geyer Collection: Masterworks of Tiffany and Pre-War Design, December 11, 2018, lot 10
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Dr. Egon Neustadt, The Lamps of Tiffany, New York, 1970, p. 214
Alastair Duncan, Tiffany At Auction, New York, 1981, pp. 69 and 97
William Feldstein, Jr. and Alastair Duncan, The Lamps of Tiffany Studios, New York, 1983, p. 117
Vivienne Couldrey, The Art of Louis Comfort Tiffany, Secaucus, New Jersey, 1997, p. 23
Alastair Duncan, Louis C. Tiffany: The Garden Museum Collection, Woodbridge, Suffolk, 2004, p. 292
Martin Eidelberg, Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen, Nancy A. McClelland and Lars Rachen, The Lamps of Louis Comfort Tiffany, New York, 2005, p. 108
Alastair Duncan, Tiffany Lamps and Metalware, Woodbridge, Suffolk, 2019, p. 79, no. 349

The “Pony Wisteria” model was an adaptation of Clara Driscoll’s most iconic shade design: the “Wisteria” lamp. Though smaller in scale, the Pony Wisteria displays all the incredible visual impact of its larger predecessor, with which it shares essentially the same format of dramatic, dripping wisteria panicles. Interestingly, the base for the Pony Wisteria is more complex than the standard Wisteria, with a more sculptural and detailed casting, emulating the flower’s gnarled vine.

The present lot is comprised of a range of purple and blue hues, from periwinkle to lilac to cobalt—the quintessential palette for the model. Interspersing these hues are tiles of vibrant red, orange, and yellow glass, which artistically evoke the passage of sunset light through the panicles. Thoughtfully selected and impeccably executed, individual wisteria panicles are articulated by the ingenious placement of translucent and striated violet glass, which enhance the dimensionality of the blossoms. The artistic accents of brilliant jewel-tones, along with the bright apple green leaves in the upper register, create a lively, vibrant contrast. This highly naturalistic and artistic glass selection distinguishes this lamp by all standards as an exceptional example of the model.