This vase is an exceptional example of Tiffany Studios' Paperweight Glass, pioneered under the direction of Louis Comfort Tiffany and glass chemist Arthur J. Nash at the turn of the twentieth century. In Favrile Glass Paperweight vases, a motif often achieved through the complex layering of several elements is encased in an outer layer of clear glass, allowing for myriad decorative effects. Tiffany Studios produced Favrile Glass Paperweight Vases in a variety of styles, including a popular line depicting flowers and vines.
This example features a cased floral motif, the flowers with large rounded petals formed by reactive glass in shades of pale lavender and deep purple which dramatically shift in tone when moving from transmitted to reflected light. These showy flowers are surrounded by swirling thin vines and heart-shapes leaves in variegated glass in shifting tones of green and orange.
The interior of the vase was fumed, resulting in an iridescent surface which reflects light from within.
Height: 6 ½ inches (16.5 cm)
Diameter: 4 ¾ inches (12.1 cm)
References:
Martin Eidelberg, Tiffany Favrile Glass and the Quest of Beauty, Lillian Nassau LLC: 2007, p.60-66
