NEW YORK, N.Y.- In the afternoon of 15 December 2011, Sotheby’s New York will present for sale a highly curated selection of Important Tiffany that includes strong examples across each of the artistic disciplines for which Louis Comfort Tiffany and Tiffany Studios are well known, from a painting by the artist to works in favrile glass, bronzes, leaded glass lamps and an important window. The sale will be on exhibition in Sotheby’s York Avenue galleries beginning this Saturday, 10 December, alongside the auction of Important 20th Century Design.

The Important Tiffany sale will be highlighted by A Highly Important Three-Panel “Magnolia” Window, circa 1910 (est. $400/600,000*). As Julie L. Sloan writes in her catalogue essay, “this brilliantly colored, small jewel of a window required a bold and confident eye, as all of the modeling relies on the accidental swirls and ribbons of color within a single sheet of glass – no drapery glass or layering of glass was used in creating the piece. In addition, careful examination of the window’s pattern reveals it to be identical to a single repeat of Tiffany’s 28-inch Magnolia shade pattern, representing an unusual and possibly unique crossover between the lampshade and window departments within the studio.” Further, the window was included in the illustrious exhibition Masterworks of Louis Comfort Tiffany at the Smithsonian Institute in 1990.

The selection of leaded glass lamps in the December sale is distinguished by the rarity, quality and value of the works on offer. This group will be led by A Superb “Wisteria” Table Lamp circa 1905-1910 whose model was designed by Clara Driscoll in 1901 (est. $400/600,000), A Rare “Trumpet Creeper” Chandelier circa 1905 (est. $500/700,000), and An Extraordinary “Laburnum” Table Lamp circa 1905 with a rare “Water Lily Twisted Stem” base (est. $300/500,000).

Favrile glass will be highlighted by A Rare “Aquamarine” Exhibition Vase circa 1914-15 that was formerly in the collection of David Whitney (est. $45/60,000). As Martin Eidelberg notes in his catalogue essay, “the introduction of Aquamarine glass represented one of the last major innovations in Tiffany Studios’ glassmaking. The watery, green tinged material was especially challenging to work with, and as a result the Aquamarine vases were costly to produce.” In addition, the sale will feature A Rare and Monumental Paperweight Vase of favrile glass, circa 1898-1900 (est. $40/60,000).

*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium