TIFFANY STUDIOS | FIGURAL LAMP SCREEN

Robert Koch, Louis C. Tiffany: Rebel in Glass, New York, 1964, p. 187

Robert Koch, Louis C. Tiffany: The Collected Works of Robert Koch, Atglen, PA, 2001, p. 122

Alastair Duncan, Tiffany Lamps and Metalware, Woodbridge, Suffolk, 2007, p. 414, no. 1661

Timeless Beauty, The Art of Louis Comfort Tiffany, The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, Atglen, PA, 2016, p. 197

At the turn of the century, consumers began to embrace electric over traditional kerosene lamps. This prompted Tiffany Studios to introduce a series of lamp screens into its repertoire, which were designed to further diffuse the relatively harsh glow of electric bulbs. The screens took the forms of charming creatures such as dragonflies, moths and, in this rare instance, a woman with butterfly wings. This hybrid creature was a popular motif during the time, encapsulating the sensuality and fantasy of the Art Nouveau style. Though conceived as an accessory, the fine casting of the female figure, stunning glass selection and skillful leadwork make this lamp screen a superb example of Tiffany’s unparalleled artistry.