Lotus, Pagoda Lamp

Artist: Louis Comfort Tiffany, American, 1848–1933
Maker: Tiffany Studios, Corona, New York, 1900–1938
Date: c.1900–1905
Material: Bronze and leaded Favrile glass
made in: Corona, New York, United States, North and Central America
Classification: Glassware, lighting
Collection: Decorative Arts and Design
Current Location: Not on view
Dimensions: 31 1/2 in. x 26 1/8 in. (80 x 66.4 cm)
diameter at base: 11 in.
Credit Line: Marjorie Wyman Endowment Fund, the Richard Brumbaugh Trust in memory of Richard Irving Brumbaugh and in honor of Grace Lischer Brumbaugh, the E. Reuben and Gladys Flora Grant Charitable Trust, and funds given by Mrs. Charles W. Lorenz, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth F. Teasdale, Mrs. Ruth Goldstein and Sidney Goldstein in memory of Chip Goldstein, Dr. and Mrs. F. Thomas Ott, Dr. and Mrs. George R. Schoedinger III, Jane and Warren Shapleigh, the Fox Family Foundation, the Paul and Elissa Cahn Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Martin E. Galt III, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Graham, Betty Greenfield Grossman, Mr. and Mrs. Robert R. Hermann Jr., Katharine W. Hoblitzelle, Mrs. James Lee Johnson Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Alan C. Kohn, Mrs. Clinton W. Lane Jr., Mary and Oliver Langenberg, Mr. and Mrs. L. Max Lippman Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Edward J. Nusrala, Mrs. William R. Orthwein, Dr. Alan Pestronk, Mrs. Mason Scudder, Barbara Shortridge, Mr. and Mrs. E. R. Thomas Jr., and the Decorative Arts Society
Rights: Public Domain
Object Number: 68:1997

NOTES

Working in bronze and stained glass, Louis Comfort Tiffany designed lamps that often imitated nature at its most elaborate. This elegant lotus-inspired lamp is a remarkable achievement of complex form and workmanship. Measuring 26 inches in diameter, the lamp's expansive shade demonstrates the spectral qualities of Tiffany glass. Unlike many Tiffany lamps in which bases and shades were interchangeable, this piece was conceived as a single, unified floral form. The faceted structure of the parasol-like shade depicts the lotus's foliage, and the base suggests the plant's stem and roots. As in many of Tiffany's works, the selection of the lotus and its integration into his design evoke a Japanese aesthetic.

Provenance

Peacock Alley Art Nouveau Gallery, Beverly Hills, CA, USA

- 1997
Private Collection, Washington, D.C.

1997
Historical Design, Inc., New York, NY, purchased from private collector in Washington D.C. [1]

1997 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, purchased from Historical Design, Inc. [2]

Notes:
[1] Main source of provenance is a letter from Denis Gallion of Historical Design, Inc., dated March 21, 2003 [copy in SLAM document files].

[2] Paid invoice dated November 17, 1997 [SLAM document files]. Minutes of the Collections Committee of the Board of Trustees, Saint Louis Art Museum, December 11, 1997.

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