TIFFANY STUDIOS | A Rare Jeweled “Peacock” Box

Private Collection, New Jersey
Sotheby's New York, November 7, 1992, lot 455
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Alastair Duncan, Tiffany Lamps and Metalware, Woodbridge, Suffolk, 2007, p. 450 (for the present lot illustrated)

Overall in very good condition. The glass panels on the sides and top display a rich golden yellow hue with warm grey pulled feather decoration, evoking the texture of a peacock feather. The glass displays a warm orange iridescence, which offsets the complementary blue iridized cabochons with jewel-tone iridescence. The glass panels with light surface scratches throughout, consistent with age and gentle handling. The glass with a few occasional surface irregularities inherent in the making, including a few air bubbles that are open to the surface. The front-facing panel with a few minor clamshell flecks to the upper border on the left side, not visually distracting and consistent with age and gentle handling. The glass panel on the lid with three cracks which have been professionally stabilized and which are concealed by the bronze strap through the center of the panel, which was later added and presents harmoniously with the overall composition. The cabochon jewels are all in very good condition. The settings surrounding a few of the cabochons with some scattered small losses, stable. The cabochon on the center of the lid appears to have been associated to the piece at the time of the restoration to the lid but is well-matched with the other cabochons. On the reverse of the box beneath the hinge, the right-most cabochon with some surface loss. This loss appears to have been blended and is not visually distracting. The bronze surfaces display a rich russet brown patina. The bronze with scattered minor surface scratches, abrasions, and light wear consistent with age and gentle handling. The interior of the box is lined with forest green velvet, which is in very good condition. The interior of the box lid is lined with olive green velvet with some losses, wear, and discoloration. A rare and highly complex work by Tiffany Studios, exemplifying Tiffany's artistic abstraction of motifs found in nature.
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.