This exceptional Tiffany Glass Vase incorporates both “Lava” and “Cypriote” glass, two of the most innovative types of Favrile Glass pioneered under the direction of Louis Comfort Tiffany at the turn of the twentieth century.
The simple footed form emphasizes the organic surface and decoration. A base of gold iridescent glass shimmers through the rough, pitted texture which characterizes the entire surface of the vase. A swirling motif in thick golden glass with brilliant rainbow iridescence was formed through the application of thick drips of molten glass across the surface of the vessel during the glass blowing process.
Few examples of Tiffany Favrile Glass incorporating this combination of techniques are known today, likely owing to the technical difficulty of both the glassblowing and annealing processes. Unusual vases like this example are characteristic of Tiffany’s blown glass output during the experimental years of the 1890s, before the company streamlined their production lines.
This rare and important authentic Tiffany Favrile Glass Vase is inscribed on the underside with signature and date code, and retains its original Tiffany Glass & Decorating Co. paper label.
Height: 6 inches (15.2 com)
Diameter: 4 ¼ inches (10.8 cm)
References:
Martin Eidelberg, “Tiffany Favrile Glass and the Quest of Beauty,” (Lillian Nassau LLC, New York: 2007), pp. 28-31.
