Tiffany Studios

with a rare "Cattail Pond Lily" base

Sturges Family Collection, circa 1950
Bonhams, New York, December 16, 2006, lot 5056

Alastair Duncan, Tiffany at Auction, New York, 1981, p. 65 (for the present shade and base model pairing)
Martin Eidelberg, Nina Gray and Margi Hofer, A New Light on Tiffany, Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany Girls, New York, 2007, p. 54 (for the base model)
Martin Eidelberg, Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen, Nancy A. McClelland and Lars Rachen, The Lamps of Louis Comfort Tiffany, New York, 2005, pp. 163 (for the base model)
David A. Hanks, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Treasures from the Driehaus Collection, New York, 2013, p. 53 (for the present shade and base model pairing)

Overall very good condition. This lamp has historic provenance going back to the 1950s, and by all accounts the shade, base and heat cap have all remained together since the period. The shade with approximately 17 cracks to the glass tiles dispersed throughout, including several stress cracks to the dragonfly wings. These stress cracks have been sensitively stabilized by a professional Tiffany conservator. All of the glass cabochons are in good condition and appear original and undisturbed. A few cabochons with minute surface irregularities inherent in the making and not visually detractive. The shade with some very minor light surface soiling concentrated beneath the dragonfly wing overlays. The filigrees all appear to be intact and in good condition. The rare and sculptural "Cattail Pond Lily" base is in very good condition, displaying superb casting and a rich russet brown patina. The bronze surfaces with some occasional minor surface scratches, abrasions, and some minor traces of oxidation and surface soiling to the recessed contours of the cattails and lily pads consistent with age and gentle handling. A few of the lily pads with small casting flaws, not visually detractive. The base overall is masterfully executed, with finely chased details and naturalistic texture to the cattails, which are in low relief. The lily pads are particularly beautiful and delicate. The upper shade ring and arms with expected wear and minor areas of wear to the patina. With a period finial in very good condition with a small discoloration just below the knop. All the sockets appear original and undisturbed. A superb example displaying a highly artistic and harmonious shade and base pairing and a striking color palette. When viewed in person the shade presents with an even more nuanced palette with a sensitively executed gradation from soft oranges and mauves around the upper aperture to rich cobalt and cerulean blues.
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.

Louis Comfort Tiffany freely used nature as his muse for his lamp designs, which made tangible the beauty of the flora and fauna around him. The pairing of the present “Dragonfly” shade with its “Cattail Pond Lily” base evokes the image of a humid summer day, with humming insects over a boggy swamp. As a unit, the shade and base together create a lyrical, picturesque landscape. The base in particular, depicting tall bundles of grass emerging from a collection of lily pads, is articulated with such softness and realism it hardly resembles the hard cast bronze from which it is made. Its delicate, finely chased contours reveal the skilled hand of Tiffany’s craftsman. Discontinued by 1910, this rare base model is exemplary of the highly artistic representations that Tiffany Studios created at the pinnacle of the firm’s production.