24 - TIFFANY STUDIOS

TIFFANY STUDIOS “Pond Lily” model base with seven light arms, crafted from bronze with a nuanced, oxidized brown-green patina. Attached tulip-shaped lampshades made of iridescent yellow glass. Marked LOTTON. Signed on the reverse of the base and numbered 385. Height: 52 cm Provenance: Private French collection. Bibliography: Alastair Duncan, *Tiffany Lamps and Metalware: An Illustrated Reference to Over 2,000 Models*, Woodbridge, Suffolk: Antique Collectors’ Club, 1988; lamp listed as No. 312 on p. 80. The Tiffany Studios “Lily” table lamp, often referred to in period catalogs as “Pond Lily,” is one of the most iconic and commercially successful models produced by Tiffany & Co. in the early 20th century. The first interesting feature is that it is very different from the large Tiffany lamps with leaded-glass shades. Here, the flowers consist of small individual shades made of Favrile blown glass, shaped like bells or inverted lilies, suspended from the ends of slender, arched bronze stems. The base depicts a bouquet of stems emerging from a carpet of water lily leaves. It is therefore almost more of an illuminated botanical sculpture than a traditional lamp. The design appeared at the very beginning of Tiffany’s foray into electric lighting. A ten-light version housed at the Morse Museum bears the standard number 381, with lampshades known as “Drop Cluster Blossoms,” model number 104. The model was presented at the 1902 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative Arts in Turin, where Tiffany received the highest honors. The idea was particularly modern: since electricity required neither an oil reservoir nor ventilation for a flame, the wires could run directly through the slender bronze stems, and the bulbs could be oriented downward exactly like drooping flowers. This is an important detail in the history of design: the object’s form stems directly from the new electrical technology. The wire becomes invisible within the stem, the socket becomes the calyx of the flower, and the lampshade becomes the corolla. Tiffany thus transforms a technical constraint into a naturalistic motif. Favrile Glass The tulips are generally made of blown Favrile glass, an iconic Tiffany invention. Classic examples feature golden-yellow or amber glass, ranging from transparent to translucent, covered with a metallic iridescence that produces golden, pink, blue, purple, or green reflections depending on the light. In fine examples, the light truly gives the impression that each flower is glowing. Most Lily lampshades were made of transparent yellow glass with a golden iridescence, but Tiffany also produced particularly sought-after variations: green, opalescent, striated, or even dichroic glass, which can change color dramatically depending on whether the light is reflected or transmitted. Bronze is also an essential element. The base is typically finished with a brown-green or golden patina, featuring raised water lily leaves at the base, followed by a cluster of long vertical stems that gradually fan out before curving downward in arcs. Several sizes exist The design was adapted with varying numbers of flowers: versions with 3, 4, 7, 10, 12, and 18 lights are known, as well as floor lamps. The spectacular 18-light version is directly linked to the model on display in Turin. It was so successful that the design continued to be marketed for many years. Today we are presenting the intermediate 7-light model. Please contact the firm for condition reports. Appraiser: Cabinet d'Expertise Marcilhac 5 rue de Nesle 75006 PARIS info@marcilhacexpert.com T: +33 6 71 81 38 35 / +33 1 42 49 74 46