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Lot Essay
The 22 inch diameter 'Dragonfly', sometimes called the 'Drophead' or 'Hanging Head' model because of the shape of its border, was produced in a stunning variety of color combinations. The most celebrated examples are presented on beautifully ornamented bases, such as the present example, set with panels of multicolored glass tesserae and with bold iridescent 'turtleback' tiles about the shoulder. For illustrations of variations on this shade and base combination, see: William Feldstein, Jr. and Alastair Duncan, The Lamps of Tiffany Studios, 1983, pp. 102-103 and pp. 124-125. See also Alastair Duncan, Fin de Siècle Masterpieces from the Silverman Collection, 1989, pp. 28-29, and Alastair Duncan, Tiffany at Auction, 1981, p. 122, fig. 330.
A dragonfly motif lamp was one of the two earliest leaded glass lamps offered by Louis C. Tiffany's firm, making its debut with the 'Nautilus' desk lamp model, just prior to 1900. Although in general Tiffany did not credit individual designers for their work, in the case of the dragonfly model, the design is attributed to a female employee, Clara Driscoll. Driscoll's early design for a Dragonfly lamp was illustrated in a catalogue for Siegfried Bing's L'Art Nouveau exhibition held at the Grafton Galleries, London in 1899. This first 'Dragonfly' lamp was strikingly different from Tiffany's earlier blown glass oil lamps with their abstract flowing surface decoration. Here instead was a conical shade composed entirely of leaded glass, with its principal motif taken directly from nature. A delicate metal filigree was used to bring realism to the shimmering wings of each dragonfly. Later versions of the 'Dragonfly' shade used richly colored molded glass "jewels" throughout the shade to heighten the three-dimensional effect of the design. In the example offered here, the vividly colored rippled glass background and "jewels" are evocative of sun-dappled water over which the dragonflies hover, their broad filigreed wings and bright eyes creating a magical, mesmerising effect.
*This lot may be tax exempt from sales tax as set forth in the Sales Tax notice at the back of the catalogue.
A dragonfly motif lamp was one of the two earliest leaded glass lamps offered by Louis C. Tiffany's firm, making its debut with the 'Nautilus' desk lamp model, just prior to 1900. Although in general Tiffany did not credit individual designers for their work, in the case of the dragonfly model, the design is attributed to a female employee, Clara Driscoll. Driscoll's early design for a Dragonfly lamp was illustrated in a catalogue for Siegfried Bing's L'Art Nouveau exhibition held at the Grafton Galleries, London in 1899. This first 'Dragonfly' lamp was strikingly different from Tiffany's earlier blown glass oil lamps with their abstract flowing surface decoration. Here instead was a conical shade composed entirely of leaded glass, with its principal motif taken directly from nature. A delicate metal filigree was used to bring realism to the shimmering wings of each dragonfly. Later versions of the 'Dragonfly' shade used richly colored molded glass "jewels" throughout the shade to heighten the three-dimensional effect of the design. In the example offered here, the vividly colored rippled glass background and "jewels" are evocative of sun-dappled water over which the dragonflies hover, their broad filigreed wings and bright eyes creating a magical, mesmerising effect.
*This lot may be tax exempt from sales tax as set forth in the Sales Tax notice at the back of the catalogue.