Beschreibung:

Property from a Distinguished West Coast CollectionTiffany Studios"Maple Leaf" Table Lamp
circa 1915with a "Tree" baseleaded glass, patinated bronzeshade impressed TIFFANY STUDIOS 1999base impressed TIFFANY STUDIOS/NEW YORK/55333¼ in. (84.5 cm) high22½ in. (57 cm) diameter of shadeCondition reportOverall in very good condition. When viewed firsthand, the shade displays a fittingly autumnal palette. The maple leaves are executed in varied shades of forest, mossy and cadmium green, with the lower register cleverly composed of seed pod wings that appear to gently flutter in the breeze. The background glass subtly transitions from a richer burnt orange near the finial to a creamy pale yellow along the lower edge. The shade with approximately 4 hairline cracks dispersed throughout, stable. The shade with some very minor traces of surface soiling concentrated to the contours adjacent to the lead lines, consistent with age. The “Tree” base is in overall very good condition, displaying an exceptionally rich green and brown patina. The patinated bronze surfaces present with scattered minor surface scratches, wear and discolorations, consistent with age and gentle handling, as well as some occasional oxidation and traces of surface soiling concentrated to the recessed contours of the design. With period sockets. With a period finial. A visually striking example of this rare model displaying a highly artistic and thoughtful glass selection and naturalistic design.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colors and shades which are different to the lot's actual color and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation. The condition report is a statement of opinion only. For that reason, the condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS ONLINE CONDITION REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE/BUSINESS APPLICABLE TO THE RESPECTIVE SALE.ProvenanceSotheby Parke Bernet, New York, April 1, 1977, lot 152
Private Collection, New York
Sotheby's New York, December 14, 2007, lot 338
The Geyer Collection
Sotheby's New York, The Geyer Collection: Masterworks of Tiffany and Prewar Design, December 11, 2018, lot 55
Acquired from the above by the present ownerLiteratureWilliam Feldstein, Jr. and Alastair Duncan, The Lamps of Tiffany Studios, New York, 1983, p. 89 (for the shade)
Alastair Duncan, Louis C. Tiffany: The Garden Museum Collection, Woodbridge, Suffolk, 2004, p. 300 (for the shade)
Martin Eidelberg, Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen, Nancy A. McClelland and Lars Rachen, The Lamps of Louis Comfort Tiffany New York, 2005, p. 98 (for the shade)
Alastair Duncan, Tiffany Lamps and Metalware, Woodbridge, Suffolk, 2019, pp. 126, no. 488 (for the base) and 221, no. 867 (for the shade)Catalogue noteThis exceptionally rare lamp was one of the later designs produced by Tiffany Studios, as its 1999 model number would indicate. The first example was made around 1913 and there is documented evidence that a Maple Leaf table lamp, with a gilt finish, was made for the company’s inventory as late as November 1923. Despite this approximate ten-year period of production, fewer than five examples are presently known to exist. This perhaps might be due to the firm’s relatively high selling price of $240 for the shade alone.
Louis C. Tiffany had utilized the maple leaf theme as early as 1880 when he designed a potiere that was produced by Candace Wheeler for his interior decorating business. He also planted the tree liberally when landscaping both The Briars and Laurelton Hall. It is unknown why the design was not utilized until relatively late in the firm’s history, but the eventual motif exhibits all of Tiffany’s supreme artistic talents.
The large domed shade depicts an early morning scene in spring, when the maple tree’s foliage has just fully developed. In various sizes and shapes, the finely detailed leaves are primarily in tones of green, but are enlivened with hints of powder blue, teal and light yellow enhanced with gentle mottling. The leading of the leaves cleverly forms the veining. Below the leaves and encircling the lower rim are three bands of samaras, or seed pods, in varying shades of green and amber. The lowest band shows only the top half of the pods, as if they are almost ready to detach themselves from the slender branches and helicopter downwards to the ground. All this is on a background that transitions from a fiery amber-streaked gold to a pale yellow, beautifully simulating the rising sun and the break of dawn.
The Maple Leaf lamp is one of Tiffany’s finest motifs, subtle yet highly imaginative and exquisite in its intricacy and tonality. This example provides a rare opportunity to examine, and appreciate, a remarkable model that infrequently appears on the market.
—Paul Doros