Iridescence and Immortality: The Peacock Motif in Tiffany’s Designs

The resplendent plumage of the male Indian peacock had endless appeal for Louis Tiffany. Through publications and his own travels, Tiffany was presumably well aware of his European contemporaries' exploration of the peacock subject, such as William Morris' popular 1878 Peacocks and Dragons curtains, as well as James Whistler's famous Peacock Room for the shipowner and art collector Frederick Leyland that was completed in 1877. For Tiffany, the motif was fashionable by contemporary standards and was made even more interesting by its rich iconography. He collected and studied ancient art and undoubtedly knew that the peacock was sacred to the Greeks and symbolized the god Hera. The Romans thought that peacock flesh never decayed after death and it came to represent immortality, an allegory that was readily adapted by the early Christians to represent the resurrection of Christ. In Japan, the bird came to symbolize selflessness, kindness and love, and the Chinese believed the peacock guarded the earth and promoted peace.

Beyond its cultural significance, Tiffany was fascinated by the iridescent shimmer of the peacock’s feathers as well as the design possibilities of the "eye" of the feathering, and it was no surprise that Tiffany utilized the peacock in a wide variety of themes and mediums. Possibly Tiffany's most outstanding interpretation of the peacock was represented in his leaded glass lamps, introduced around 1902. The magnificent table lamp offered here (lot 205) is artfully comprised of an upper and lower band of deep blue, teal and green "eyes" bordered in crimson and green-streaked yellow glass. The background of stylized plumage is executed in a wide range of jewel-tone hues. The quality of the casting of the complementary patinated bronze base is exceptional. The collar and body have an overall chased design emulating the feathering of a peacock's neck, breast and saddle. Descending from the shoulder are six feathers that continue to the scalloped splayed foot where they form eyes with iridized favrile mosaic insets similar to those found on Tiffany's related "Peacock" mirror (lot 225).

The firm's blown glass with peacock motif is beautifully represented in lot 219, a charming plaque with five iridescent purple, blue and gold eyes among intricate greenish-blue feathering on the transparent yellow ground. A more abstract interpretation of the subject can be seen in the glass selection of the rare "Peacock" box (lot 206), which is highly stylized yet maintains a subtle naturalism through the brilliantly iridized pulled-feather panels and deep blue cabochons representing the eye. From leaded glass to fancy goods to blown glass, Tiffany's thorough exploration of the peacock motif underscores Louis Tiffany's deep cultural, historical and aesthetic enthusiasm for the subject.

PAUL DOROS