NEW YORK, NY.- Sotheby’s will offer one of the most important private collections of Tiffany lamps to appear at auction in more than a decade, as the centerpiece of its 17 December 2014 auction Tiffany: Dreaming in Glass in New York. The group of seven lamps – comprising many of the firm’s most iconic and celebrated designs – was assembled thoughtfully over a period of 30 years by renowned Tiffany collector and dealer Sandra van den Broek, before being acquired by the present owner. The highlight of the group is two successively numbered Wisteria lamps – an extraordinary, nearly-identical pair whose harmonious coloration suggest that they were cut from the same sheets of glass (estimates $700,000 / 1 million each*). The collection will be on exhibition in Sotheby’s York Avenue galleries beginning 13 December, alongside the full Tiffany and 20th Century Design auctions.
Sandra van den Broek commented: “Louis Comfort Tiffany was an unrelenting visionary, for whom artistry and innovation were everything. I acquired the lamps in this collection over a thirty year period, during which I always hunted for the best examples of each model, and the most unique and artistic pieces available. The lamps on offer define the criteria for exceptional Tiffany – from the most saturated and artistic glass selections, to the most desirable and dynamic shade and base combinations.”
Jodi Pollack, Head of Sotheby’s 20th Century Design Department in New York, commented: “Every new generation of collectors rediscovers the genius of Tiffany – a testament to the unparalleled innovation, creativity and craftsmanship of the firm’s work. In recent years, it has been thrilling to see global interest in Tiffany from young collectors, who are pairing great works of art by modern and contemporary masters with the firm’s spectacular designs. The two are a natural fit.”
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE COLLECTION
Two Successively Numbered Wisteria Table Lamps, Circa 1901 – 1905. Offered as two lots. Each lamp estimated to achieve $700,000 / 1 million
The Wisteria lamp was designed by Clara Driscoll in 1901, and was available for sale by Christmas of that year. Today, the lamp is recognized widely as an icon of American design and one of Tiffany Studios’ most accomplished masterworks. The complex pattern of the lamp’s shade is comprised of nearly 2,000 pieces of glass that were individually selected and cut. Successively-numbered, the present Wisterias represent the closest iteration of a pair to ever emerge at auction:
Sandra van den Broek: “I found the first of these two Wisterias in the mid-1980s. It was one of the greatest Wisterias I had ever seen – I knew instantly that I would buy it. About 15 years later I was approached to purchase another, equally beautiful Wisteria. Before I bought the second lamp, I was shocked to see that its early stamped production numbers followed in exact sequence with the example I already owned. When I put the Wisterias side by side, it was evident that these two successively numbered lamps had been cut from the same sheets of glass, which was an amazing discovery.”
Dragonfly Table Lamp. Circa 1910. Estimate $600/900,000
The turn-of-the-century captivation with natural elements in design is richly exhibited in the aquatic, dreamlike color palette of this Dragonfly shade’s composition. What makes this lamp so exceptional is its dramatic and highly-contrasting glass selection, exhibiting golden flames projecting below the top aperture of the shade and a brilliant range of cabochon jewels. The extraordinary base – one of the firm’s most illustrious designs – is inset with turtle-back tiles and mosaic glass, elevating the lamp to a heroic stature.
Grape Chandelier. Circa 1905. Estimate $300/500,000
The extraordinary variation in the glass selection for the present Grape chandelier demonstrates Tiffany’s refined skills as a colorist and glass-maker. A broad range of glass innovations are showcased – including passages of fractured glass, ring-mottled glass, and streamer glass – to evoke the slow impressionistic changes in coloration of the grape during the harvest season.
Peony Table Lamp. Circa 1905. Estimate $250/350,000
Perhaps the most sculptural lamp of the group is the exquisite Peony lamp with a rare “Crab” base. The dynamic peony blossom is articulated in richly-saturated and textured drapery glass to heighten the three-dimensional naturalistic quality of the floral petals. Three crabs encircled by an intricate network of braided rope ground the lamp’s overall composition. Due to the highly-detailed treatment of each crab’s anatomy, it is likely that the form was cast from nature.
Poppy Floor Lamp. Circa 1900. Estimate $300/500,000
The poppy is depicted in the present lamp in full bloom amidst a lush garden bed, with contrasting shades of vigorously-mottled green foliage that evoke the sense of light passing through the blossoms.
Laburnum Table Lamp. Circa 1905. Estimate $250/350,000
This Laburnum lamp displays an exceptionally-artistic glass selection, presented with the highly-naturalistic and sculptural Bird Skeleton base – one of the most sought-after bases ever produced by the firm.
TIFFANY: DREAMING IN GLASS
Sotheby’s highly-anticipated December auction of Tiffany will present a curated selection of the firm’s celebrated leaded glass lighting and favrile glass, with estimates ranging from $10,000 to more than $1 million. Outside the present private collection, the sale features an elaborate “Lily” chandelier from the descendants of the Havemeyer family, as well as a carved cameo vase formerly in the collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany himself.
