Details

Provenance

Minna Rosenblatt, New York, 1977

Exhibited

Glass Threads: Tiffany, Quezal, Imperial, Durand, Museum of American Glass at Wheaton Village, Millville, New Jersey, April 3, 2004-January 2, 2005 Catalogue note For the Collector's Cabinet: Abstraction in Miniature Tiffany’s monumental vases, such as lots 304 and 318, can be visually powerful. They were, however, a minor segment of the glasshouse’s overall production and Favrile vases on a considerably smaller scale were frequently mentioned in the company’s initial marketing attempts. The company reminded the public as early as 1894 that, although large pieces could be purchased, “small objects for the collector’s cabinet and lovers of bric-a-brac” were also available, and at a more affordable price. The miniature vases offered here clearly demonstrate that, although lacking in size, they can be as highly decorative, complex and impactful as any piece five-times their dimensions. The three green vases decorated with iridescent flowers (lots 337, 338 and 339) are discussed elsewhere, but the remaining objects should not be overlooked. Lot 342, with its agate-like decoration in banded swirls of green, yellow and russet, is a fine early example that was imitated 10 years later by Quezal with their “Innovation” glassware. The small yellow vase is of a highly unusual shade of Favrile glass and the stylized flowers are incredibly intricate for a piece of this size. The paperweight vase, an early example of the technique, is superbly crafted, with a lower section in ochre and olive beautifully contrasting with the upper portion streaked in cream and tan. The final miniature, with its tri-dimpled body, is a relatively rare example of dichroic Favrile glass in a vase form. - PD

Literature

Gay LeCleire Taylor, Glass Threads: Tiffany, Quezal, Imperial, Durand , exh. cat., Museum of American Glass at Wheaton Village, Millville, NJ, 2004, p. 9, fig. 2-1 (for the present lot illustrated)

Catalog summary

Tiffany Studios Vase circa 1896 Favrile glass engraved L.C.T. 5½ in. (14 cm) high Provenance Minna Rosenblatt, New York, 1977 Literature Gay LeCleire Taylor, Glass Threads: Tiffany, Quezal, Imperial, Durand , exh. cat., Museum of American Glass at Wheaton Village, Millville, NJ, 2004, p. 9, fig. 2-1 (for the present lot illustrated) Exhibited Glass Threads: Tiffany, Quezal, Imperial, Durand, Museum of American Glass at Wheaton Village, Millville, New Jersey, April 3, 2004-January 2, 2005 Catalogue note For the Collector's Cabinet: Abstraction in Miniature Tiffany’s monumental vases, such as lots 304 and 318, can be visually powerful. They were, however, a minor segment of the glasshouse’s overall production and Favrile vases on a considerably smaller scale were frequently mentioned in the company’s initial marketing attempts. The company reminded the public as early as 1894 that, although large pieces could be purchased, “small objects for the collector’s cabinet and lovers of bric-a-brac” were also available, and at a more affordable price. The miniature vases offered here clearly demonstrate that, although lacking in size, they can be as highly decorative, complex and impactful as any piece five-times their dimensions. The three green vases decorated with iridescent flowers (lots 337, 338 and 339) are discussed elsewhere, but the remaining objects should not be overlooked. Lot 342, with its agate-like decoration in banded swirls of green, yellow and russet, is a fine early example that was imitated 10 years later by Quezal with their “Innovation” glassware. The small yellow vase is of a highly unusual shade of Favrile glass and the stylized flowers are incredibly intricate for a piece of this size. The paperweight vase, an early example of the technique, is superbly crafted, with a lower section in ochre and olive beautifully contrasting with the upper portion streaked in cream and tan. The final miniature, with its tri-dimpled body, is a relatively rare example of dichroic Favrile glass in a vase form. - PD