Louis Comfort Tiffany harbored a deep fascination with naturally occurring iridescence. Tiffany often incorporated these materials like sea pebbles and abalone shell into his designs, and earned world renown for achieving similar effects in Tiffany glass.
Introduced around 1904, the first Nautilus lamps produced by Tiffany Studios incorporated a real Nautilus shell as the shade, as in this example which we are thrilled to offer for sale. In Bronze Lamps, a promotional booklet distributed by Tiffany Studios around 1904, this model is pictured and is described as a “dainty lamp of real nautilus shell.” The company eventually offered this lamp with a leaded glass shade.
This particular example of the Nautilus Lamp features a natural creamy Nautilus shell with silvery surface iridescence which is mounted in a bronze base decorated with a raised motif of stylized Scallop shells on the rounded foot. The thin stem which supports the swiveling Nautilus shade features an additional detail of an applied tendril of bronze which coils around the.
This original and rare Tiffany lamp is signed on the underside.
Height: 15 ½ inches (39.4 cm)