The Nautical desk set was one of the most elaborate produced by Tiffany Studios, with each piece depicting “varied motifs of the sea,” often incorporating sculptural or highly detailed motifs in high and low relief. Period sales catalogues distributed by Tiffany Studios note that this set was “of unusual interest”
This Paper Rack from the set, in rich brown-green patina, features surface decoration in low relief of waves on all of the flat panels; the lower front panel depicts a group of dolphins alternating between diving into the water and poking their heads up above the waves which form the irregular rim, while the back panel features a crest formed by a scallop shell framed on either side by two dolphins.
The original patina of this set is noted for its “soft green tones” in Tiffany Desk Sets, a sales pamphlet produced by Tiffany Studios around 1910; the company noted that the set could also be finished in brown or gold patina.
Height: 7 ¼ inches (18.4 cm)
Width: 11 inches (28 cm)
Depth: 3 inches (7.6 cm)