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This iridescent mosaic panel depicting two parrots in flight against a background of exotic foliage demonstrates how Tiffany expanded the potential of the medium of mosaic, just as he pushed the boundaries of other mediums. Rather than limiting his mosaics to compositions formed of tiny, geometric segments in the traditional manner, the glass for Tiffany's mosaics was cut to better suit its subject matter. Thus, instead of having a rigid, fixed appearance, Tiffany's best mosaics possess a vivid naturalism. As with his lamps and windows, the careful selection of each glass piece gives the overall composition great vitality and three-dimensionality. In this panel for example, the iridized glass brilliantly depicts the shimmering plumage of the birds. Although the company produced a number of ecclesiastical and institutional commissions in mosaic, most of these were very conventional. Domestic commissions such as this piece are rare.
A WOOD-MOUNTED FAVRILE GLASS MOSAIC PANEL
TIFFANY STUDIOS, CIRCA 1905
Details
A WOOD-MOUNTED FAVRILE GLASS MOSAIC PANEL
Tiffany Studios, circa 1905
55¾ x 14 1/8in. (141.6 x 35.8cm.)
Tiffany Studios, circa 1905
55¾ x 14 1/8in. (141.6 x 35.8cm.)
Provenance
Estate of Aaron Frank
Sotheby Parke Bernet, New York, Art Nouveau, Property from the Estate of Aaron Frank, March 29, 1979, lot 61
Sotheby Parke Bernet, New York, Art Nouveau, Property from the Estate of Aaron Frank, March 29, 1979, lot 61
Literature
Alastair Duncan, Louis Comfort Tiffany, 1992, p. 78 illustrates this panel.