Tiffany Studios New York Jeweled "Four-Light Tulip" Sconce
Regular price
$27,500
This resplendent Tiffany Studios New York jeweled "Four-Light Tulip" sconce, wrought in richly patinated bronze, blossoms with four golden iridescent Favrile glass tulip shades—each one a luminous ode to nature’s elegance. Encircling the socket holders, iridescent green glass jewels glisten like dewdrops on spring foliage, imbuing the piece with an ethereal glow. It is often said that Louis Comfort Tiffany’s most profound and enduring masterpiece was not a single object, but the enchanting grounds of his Long Island garden estate, Laurelton Hall. Along its mile-long ribbon of blue gravel drive, beds of tulips—lovingly planted and meticulously tended—swayed in vibrant celebration of the seasons. So enamored was Tiffany with the tulip's form and symbolism that he chose it to represent spring in his masterful Four Seasons windows, unveiled to great acclaim at the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris. Upon the completion of Laurelton Hall in 1901, these windows found their home in Tiffany’s own living room, a space where art, nature, and light danced together in perfect harmony. This exquisite sconce stands not only as a functional object of beauty, but as a glowing tribute to Tiffany’s lifelong romance with the tulip and his unyielding devotion to the poetry of design.
Item #: L-20480
Artist: Tiffany Studios New York
Country: United States
Circa: 1905
Dimensions: 16" height, 16.5" width, 13.25" depth
Materials: Favrile Glass, Patinated Bronze
Shade Signed: each shade engraved "L.C.T."
Literature: Duncan, Alastair, and Tiffany Studios (New York, N.Y.). 2007. Tiffany Lamps and Metalware : An Illustrated Reference to over 2000 Models. 1st ed. Woodbridge: Antique Collector’s Club. p. 348, no. 1445
Item #: L-20480
Artist: Tiffany Studios New York
Country: United States
Circa: 1905
Dimensions: 16" height, 16.5" width, 13.25" depth
Materials: Favrile Glass, Patinated Bronze
Shade Signed: each shade engraved "L.C.T."
Literature: Duncan, Alastair, and Tiffany Studios (New York, N.Y.). 2007. Tiffany Lamps and Metalware : An Illustrated Reference to over 2000 Models. 1st ed. Woodbridge: Antique Collector’s Club. p. 348, no. 1445
Louis Comfort Tiffany first fell in love with the tulip as a young man during his trips to the near east. While journeying through Algeria, Tiffany learned from his guide the lore and history of the Near East. Tiffany studied the Islamic Arts extensively, which he described as "the finest architecture and ornaments in existence. Among his favorite stories was that of Farhad and Shirin, considered by many to be Persia’s Romeo and Juliet. A lowly stone cutter, Farhad had an unrequited love of the Princess Shirin and wanted to win her heart. Farhad roamed the hills playing songs of love on his flute to Shirin. The villagers, feeling sorry for him conspired for him and Princess Shirin to meet. Princess Shirin was led into the mountain’s forest by her courtesan and when she saw Farhad and heard his music, she fell in love. The sultan was discontent with this turn of events. To prevent Farhad and Shirin’s union, the sultan gave Farhad an impossible task. The sultan commanded Farhad to cut through a mountain and produce a stream. Farhad dug through the mountain for years, all the while meeting with the princess in secret. Just as Farhad was to finish, the sultan sent one of his courtiers to tell Farhad that Shirin was dead. In a fit of despair, Farhad threw himself off the mountain. When Shirin saw Farhad’s dead body, she too took her life, and from each drop of blood upon the earth formed a blood-red tulip.
Louis Comfort Tiffany first fell in love with the tulip as a young man during his trips to the near east. While journeying through Algeria, Tiffany learned from his guide the lore and history of the Near East. Tiffany studied the Islamic Arts extensively, which he described as "the finest architecture and ornaments in existence. Among his favorite stories was that of Farhad and Shirin, considered by many to be Persia’s Romeo and Juliet. A lowly stone cutter, Farhad had an unrequited love of the Princess Shirin and wanted to win her heart. Farhad roamed the hills playing songs of love on his flute to Shirin. The villagers, feeling sorry for him conspired for him and Princess Shirin to meet. Princess Shirin was led into the mountain’s forest by her courtesan and when she saw Farhad and heard his music, she fell in love. The sultan was discontent with this turn of events. To prevent Farhad and Shirin’s union, the sultan gave Farhad an impossible task. The sultan commanded Farhad to cut through a mountain and produce a stream. Farhad dug through the mountain for years, all the while meeting with the princess in secret. Just as Farhad was to finish, the sultan sent one of his courtiers to tell Farhad that Shirin was dead. In a fit of despair, Farhad threw himself off the mountain. When Shirin saw Farhad’s dead body, she too took her life, and from each drop of blood upon the earth formed a blood-red tulip.
