Tiffany Studios
Pony Begonia Lamp

American, circa 1906
Height: 17 inches
Diameter: 13 inches

One of the few rare Tiffany Lamps designed as a single unit, the Pony Begonia Lamp has become one of the most beloved lamps produced by Tiffany Studios in the early 20th century.

Likely designed by Clara Driscoll, the shade and base coordinate together to create a sculptural representation of the Begonia plant in leaded glass and bronze. The bronze base, with rich brown patina, is a miniaturized version of Tiffany Studios larger Tree Trunk Table Base, the gnarled and knotted surface adorned with creeping vines, enhancing the naturalism of the piece. The motif continues up through the crown of the shade, which is formed by a network of openwork interwoven bronze branches which allowed for light and heat to escape from the shade. Begonia blossoms, articulated in richly pigmented striated pink mottled Tiffany glass, cascade down shade, interspersed with vibrant green leaves. This shade is notable for the use of exceptional transparent blue glass for the background and "sky," lending to a particularly pleasing visual effect along the lower irregular edge of the shade.

The Pony Wisteria Lamp, designed by Clara Driscoll, utilizes the same miniature Tree Trunk base; Tiffany Studios was awarded a Grand Prix for that design at the Prima Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Decorativa Moderna (First International Exposition of Modern Decorative Arts), held in Turin, Italy in 1902.

Related examples of the Pony Begonia Reading Lamp with similar glass selection are part of permanent collections of the following institutions:
- The Lewis Collection at The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (accession no. 85.159a-b)
- The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass (accession no. N.86.IU.1a,b)
- The Lunder Collection at The Colby College Museum of Art (accession no. 051.2012)