Vine Border pattern shade

Object NameLamp

Manufacturer Tiffany Studios (American, 1885 - 1932)

Datec.1905

MediumGlass, bronze

DimensionsShade: 6 x 13 7/8 inches Base: 16 x 12 inches Overall: 16 1/2 x 13 7/8 inches

ClassificationsDecorative Arts, Glass

Credit LineGift of the Helen and Rex Cook Estate. In the Helen and Rex Cook Glass Collection, Brunnier Art Museum, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Object numberUM2012.207ab

Status

On view

Collections

Decorative Arts

CultureAmerican

Label TextLouis Comfort Tiffany's work was rooted in the British Arts and Crafts Movement which focused on the quality of hand-crafted objects. While based on the Arts and Crafts Movement, Tiffany is considered an American master of the Art Nouveau Movement. With nature as his inspiration, Tiffany integrated delicate, sophisticated designs into his decorative art objects. In his 1904 catalog Tiffany Lamps, Tiffany described his clever and richly colored lampshades as “pieces of glass bound together with copper and welded together, producing the effect found in our floral and geometrical windows.” “However, Tiffany was not the exclusive designer of lamps, windows, and luxury objects: Clara Driscoll (1861–1944), head of the Women’s Glass Cutting Department from 1892 to 1909, has recently been revealed as the designer of many of the firm’s leaded glass shades. Driscoll and her staff, self-styled the “Tiffany Girls,” labored in anonymity but were well compensated. Driscoll’s weekly salary of $35 was on par with that of Tiffany’s male designers, a reflection of his regard for her abilities.” (Source: New York Historical Society) Tiffany hired some of the finest artisans in the United States, such as Driscoll designer of the famed Wisteria and Dragonfly lamps, to realize his aesthetic vision in leaded glass. Lampshade construction was a laborious process, with each small section of glass carefully selected from the thousands of sheets available to the cutting department. The base can be as important as the shade — if not more so. Most, such as the examples in the Farm House Museum, were made of bronze from Tiffany’s foundry in Queens, while some were enameled or mosaic. Partnerships also existed with Roycroft to make uniquely American Arts and Crafts bases for certain lamps in copper. For more about making a Tiffany Lamp, visit https://www.theneustadt.org/learn/making-tiffany-lamp For more on Clara Driscoll, visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clara_Driscoll_(glass_designer)

Markingsstamped; Tiffany Studios New York on shade sticker; #21, #224 TRXxx

PeriodArts and Crafts

Locations