This unusual Paperweight Agate vase is a rare example of early Tiffany Glass dating from around 1895, shortly after Louis Comfort Tiffany opened his private glassblowing complex in Corona, Queens. During this period, the artisans hired by Tiffany were experimenting with new formulas for colors and visual effects as well as developing the decorative techniques for which the Tiffany’s Favrile Glass would earn worldwide fame.
This example, of waisted cylindrical form, is formed by thick clear glass with internal decoration in the Agate style of columns and swags in a variegated tones of creamy yellow. The surface of the vase has been cut by hand into narrow flat facets which rise from the base to the narrow neck.
This vase is one of three examples in a related series which share similar techniques, internal decoration and color palettes, all three of which are signed with the C prefix and fall within the same numerical sequence, less than 25 numbers apart. The first vase was purchased by the Corning Museum of Glass from Lillian Nassau LLC in 2017 (accession no. 2017.4.9). We are thrilled to offer an additional two known vases from this series for sale: this rare early Agate vase, which is 12 numbers away from the CMOG example, as well as an early faceted vase with internal decoration.
Height: 5 ¼ inches (13.3 cm)