The work of Tiffany Studios

Magazine Antiques, Jan, 2005 by Nina Gray

The Magnolia shade (Pl. VII) is a tour de force of naturalism. The petals of the magnolia blossoms are made of drapery glass, which was first developed for use in windows to replicate the folds of a garment. In this shade, the glass was skillfully cut to give the illusion not only of the depth of a flower, but also the translucence of the petal itself. The subtle gradations of streaky glass that were used for the background range from blue to purple and contrast with the flowers. A border of ripple glass at the bottom completes the design.

A variety of glass is also visible in the Pineapple lamp (Pl. XIII). The blown glass globes, known as "wave" design, were available in a variety of sizes. (9) Pressed-glass jewels are suspended from each shade like prisms and inset into the bronze base. Each type of glass transmits and reflects light in a different way, adding complexity to a deceptively simple lamp.

The society's library received its first donation of a Louis C. Tiffany artifact from the artist himself in 1917: a personally inscribed copy of The Art Work of Louis C. Tiffany (1914), containing Tiffany's own engraved bookplate. Tiffany commissioned this lavish leather-bound book at the request of his children, as a testimonial of his creative endeavors. (10) The illustrated book contains descriptions of Tiffany's paintings, as well as examples of the work of Tiffany Studios, including blown glass, stained-glass windows, mosaics, enamels, jewelry, textiles, and interior decoration. Two chapters are devoted to Tiffany's houses and landscape gardening. A notable omission, however, is any mention of the leaded-glass lamps that became the firm's most renowned decorative objects. Tiffany's initial donation to the society was the beginning of what has become a comprehensive collection of Tiffany lamps, windows, and decorative objects, as well as Tiffany Studios documents, records, and promotional literature.

Other significant Tiffany Studios objects at the society include an enchanting paperweight/doorstop made of aquamarine glass (Pl. II), the bequest of the noted paperweight collector Jennie H. Sinclair (Mrs. MacDonald F. Sinclair, d. 1965). Aquamarine glass, introduced in 1913, was developed to replicate the translucence and color of the sea. Prone to cracking during the annealing stage, aquamarine glass was especially tricky to produce and thus expensive to manufacture. The doorstop is embedded with underwater motifs executed in the same technique used for paperweights. The blown glass fish in this example appear to be swimming amidst trails of seaweed. Most aquamarine glass was used to make vases or compotes; the paperweight doorstop is an extremely rare form.

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From design drawings to stunning lamps and windows, the New-York Historical Society collections display a wide range of the work of Louis C. Tiffany and Tiffany Studios, and offer an unparalleled opportunity for in-depth study.