Tiffany Studios

with a rare "Mosaic and Turtle-Back" tile base

For the shade:
Sotheby Parke Bernet, New York, April 1, 1977, lot 122
Charles R. Wood Foundation, Glen Falls, NY
Sotheby's New York, June 8, 2005, lot 182
For the base:
The Tavern Club, Cleveland, OH, 1905-2004
Christie's New York, December 8, 2004, lot 20

Overall in very good condition. The shade with approximately 20 cracks to the glass tiles dispersed throughout. There is some minor separation to the shade leading just below the top row of geometric glass tiles. (This is quite common in larger shades and is the result of the stress endured over time by the weight of the shade pulling down from the upper bronze shade ring. While the leading and glass in this area is stable, if desired the leading could be further stabilized with conservation.) The shade with surface soiling along the recessed contours of the leading and to the recessed contours of the rippled glass comprising the upper and lower borders. The exceedingly rare base is in beautiful original condition. This base was in the possession of the historic Tavern Club from 1905 to 2004, and by all accounts all of its components are original and undisturbed. The favrile mosaic glass ornamenting the lower register of the base all appears to be intact and undisturbed. The favrile mosaic glass with some occasional edge wear and small minor surface flecks, and with surface soiling to the recessed contours of the original grouting. There are eight large “Turtle-Back” tiles ornamenting the upper register of the base. All of these tiles appear to be original and undisturbed, and are in very good condition with no visible damage or cracks. With minor surface soiling to the perimeter borders of each tile. These tiles are beautifully iridized on the exterior and when viewed with reflected light display a strong range of luminous color. When viewed with remitted light from the electrified base these tiles emit a deep emerald green glow. The patinated bronze surfaces of the base display an exceptionally rich russet brown and green patina. The bronze surfaces with some occasional surface scratches, abrasions and rubbing consistent with age and use, and with surface soiling to some of the recessed contours of the design. At present there is a small gap of space between the outer perimeter border of the shade and the ends of the shade arms. If desired this gap could be minimized by having a Tiffany conservator mechanically adjust the shade arms slightly higher, which would allow for a tighter fit between the two components. As expected, the interior contours at the end of each shade arm with minor rubbing to the patina from surface contact over the years with the shade. The removable socket cluster is fitted with six upper sockets to illuminate the shade, and one interior socket facing downward to illuminate the base. Three of the exterior socket casings appear to be old period replacements (they display a slightly different configuration), while all of the other sockets appear to be original and undisturbed. Two of the exterior sockets are slightly bent from their top backings but are fully functional. (If desired the latter could be easily remedied by a Tiffany conservator). All of the paddle switches appear to be original and undisturbed, as well as the bronze pull chain which controls the interior base socket and the small round bronze fastener which secures the socket cluster unit in place. The upper socket cluster arms with some minor abrasions and associated patina losses. On the underside of the base, three of the small screws securing the base plate are missing (the base plate is however entirely stable). The period finial with a few very minor and shallow surface bruises to the perimeter lower edge. Displaying one of the most quintessential shade and base pairings ever conceived by Tiffany Studios, this lamp stands as a masterwork with great visual impact and presence. The glass selection of the shade is remarkably thoughtful and artistic, displaying a spectacular range of heavily saturated and beautifully mottled glass throughout. The deep cobalt blue glass utilized throughout the background passages, as well as the rich green border glass, is beautifully complemented by the glass selection and color palette of the base.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The present “Peony” shade was purchased from Sotheby’s New York in 2005 paired with an exceptional “Jeweled” base, now being offered by itself in lot 229.  One auction season earlier, the Geyer Family had purchased at Christie’s New York one of Tiffany’s most iconic and spectacular bases, the “Mosaic and Turtle-Back" tile model, which originated at the Tavern Club, a private gentleman’s club in Cleveland, Ohio, where it was paired with a “Geometric” shade and displayed on the library table of the main lounge.  The lamp was given to the club by a member in lieu of payment of dues in 1905, and remained the property of the club until its sale in 2004.  However, not only was the shade battered from years of lighthearted abuse by the members, but the lamp’s presentation was a radical juxtaposition of price and quality.  The base model, recorded in the 1906 Price List as model number 355 and priced at $300, was considerably more expensive than the majority of available shades.  Ordinarily paired with the firm's most premium large-scaled lamp shades, such as the “Hanging Head Dragonfly” (such a lamp is in the collection of The Art Institute of Chicago), or the extremely rare “Landscape” (a famous example was sold at Sotheby’s New York, The Mecom Collection, April 22, 1995, lot 66), the Geyer Family set out to create the quintessential unit and united this sumptuous "Peony" shade with the Tavern Club base.

Peony--the Flower of Prosperity, Honor and Romance

This magnificent Peony shade must have been executed in the Women’s Glass Cutting Division headed by Clara Driscoll, since she and her “Tiffany Girls” had the prerogative to make all leaded glass shades with floral subjects.  In all probability Driscoll herself designed it, since that was her responsibility and privilege.  Although she did not refer to this model in her many years of correspondence with her family, she designed it before October 1906 since the model (number 1505) is cited in Tiffany Studios’ 1906 Price List.

With its lush, overblown blossoms, the Peony shade is one of the firm’s largest and richest designs, offering a wonderful opportunity for the selector to enrich the composition with a wide range of red glass ranging here from pink to red to deep crimson and purple.  This example is particularly rich, not only in color but also in its varied types of mottled and rippled glass, and this may well be due to the fact that it was made early on in production, when greater care was given to each object.  The so-called dash-number tag inside the shade suggests that it was the thirty-seventh example of this design, a measure of its great popularity.  Its popularity was due not only to its colorful floral beauty but also to certain practical concerns:  its generously sized dome, almost two feet wide, allowed great quantities of light to radiate out.  Unlike many of the Tiffany Studios lamps that were more decorative than functional, this model provides ample light for reading.  It is not surprising, then, that in 1910, when there was a general retrenchment in Tiffany Studios’ operations and many designs were discontinued, the Peony shade stayed in production and continued to be offered into the 1920s.

Originally, this lamp base supported a Tiffany Studios Geometric shade.  The present arrangement, devised by the Geyers, is a splendid and appropriate use of the base.  The base is large and assertive, and requires a wide, strongly colored shade.  Like a rainbow, the base’s mosaic changes from a deep green at the bottom to deep blue, and the turtleback tiles at the top shift in tone from green to violet, an arrangement that accords with the palette of the Peony shade.  Indeed, this lamp base was designed with the idea that it should harmonize with different models of shades; it was not designed for just one.  Harmony of colors and materials was a key concern for Tiffany in all the works that bore his name, and this lamp evidences that practicality.  Art and commerce could be successfully joined.

-Martin Eidelberg, Co-Author of The Lamps of Louis Comfort Tiffany, and Author of Tiffany Favrile Glass and the Quest of Beauty and Tiffany Favrile Pottery and the Quest of Beauty