Lot Essay
Japanese influence on western artisans can be seen in nearly all mediums – originating from early Muromachi Period to the long reigning Edo Period, Japanese porcelain, lacquer wares and pictorial screens offered an abundance of inspiration for newly established western kilns in Germany and France of early 18th century, and continued their influence further afoot to America at the turn of the 20th century, where Louis Comfort Tiffany established his Tiffany Studios and glass workshops.
During the late 1800s, Japonisme – the Western fascination with Japanese art, design and culture – prominently influenced Tiffany. As a self-proclaimed horticulturalist, Tiffany appreciated the native plants of the eastern coast of America, but also cultivated exotic and rare blossoms on the grounds of his famed Long Island retreat, Laurelton Hall. Here, wisterias, prunus branches and poppies would bloom throughout the year.
Not only did Tiffany surround himself with the living nature of the eastern aesthetic, he also maintained in his personal collection porcelains from Asia. One can easily see the similarities between Japanese kakiemon porcelain – of characteristic asymmetric yet well-balanced design, with a palette of red, yellow, blue and turquoise-green enamels – typically depicting chrysanthemum (the national flower of Japan), along with prunus and poppy blossoms -- these prevailing traits reign strong in the present lot.
The 26 in. Poppy is one of the largest shades produced by the Studios. It followed the earlier 17 in. and 20 in. Poppy, each of conical silhouette, and was considerably more costly to produce. This rare shade model is exhibited here in a rich color palette of vermillion, scarlet and burgundy reds, with the occasional ruby red, for the unruffling petals of the dense poppies. As these luscious blooms draw the viewer in, one notices several reaching buds, waiting to burst open and hit their note in the full symphony of color. A sunny yellow background glass alludes to an early daybreak – symbols of dawn and spring. The foliage is a mottled glass in cerulean, teal, and arctic blue, with stems supporting the blossoms olive and sage green.
This pictorial depth witnessed on this shade ties Tiffany’s wonderment of nature and color – a fascination that lives beyond the era in which it was born.
During the late 1800s, Japonisme – the Western fascination with Japanese art, design and culture – prominently influenced Tiffany. As a self-proclaimed horticulturalist, Tiffany appreciated the native plants of the eastern coast of America, but also cultivated exotic and rare blossoms on the grounds of his famed Long Island retreat, Laurelton Hall. Here, wisterias, prunus branches and poppies would bloom throughout the year.
Not only did Tiffany surround himself with the living nature of the eastern aesthetic, he also maintained in his personal collection porcelains from Asia. One can easily see the similarities between Japanese kakiemon porcelain – of characteristic asymmetric yet well-balanced design, with a palette of red, yellow, blue and turquoise-green enamels – typically depicting chrysanthemum (the national flower of Japan), along with prunus and poppy blossoms -- these prevailing traits reign strong in the present lot.
The 26 in. Poppy is one of the largest shades produced by the Studios. It followed the earlier 17 in. and 20 in. Poppy, each of conical silhouette, and was considerably more costly to produce. This rare shade model is exhibited here in a rich color palette of vermillion, scarlet and burgundy reds, with the occasional ruby red, for the unruffling petals of the dense poppies. As these luscious blooms draw the viewer in, one notices several reaching buds, waiting to burst open and hit their note in the full symphony of color. A sunny yellow background glass alludes to an early daybreak – symbols of dawn and spring. The foliage is a mottled glass in cerulean, teal, and arctic blue, with stems supporting the blossoms olive and sage green.
This pictorial depth witnessed on this shade ties Tiffany’s wonderment of nature and color – a fascination that lives beyond the era in which it was born.