"Abalone Linenfold" Desk Lamp by Tiffany Studios, New York

This desk lamp by Tiffany Studios, dating from circa 1910, features a damascene favrile glass shade on an adjustable patinated bronze harp base. With dichroi...

In Tiffany Studios' exquisite "Nautilus" table lamp, a cast bronze mermaid emerges from a churning sea, holding a lighted nautilus shell aloft. This lamp, one of the few patented by Tiffany Studios, received its patent on May 2, 1899, and was featured in Siegfried Bing’s landmark Louis Comfort Tiffany exhibition at the Grafton Galleries. The mermaid base was sculpted by Louis Gudebrod, the only lamp base artist credited by Tiffany Studios. The nautilus shell motif, prominent in European decorative arts of the 17th century, originated from Dutch ships that transported the shells from the South China Sea, some 15,000 miles away. These shells showcased the Dutch Republic's global mercantile strength, and Dutch painters often featured them in still-life works—many of which are now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection. Inspired by this artistic tradition, Tiffany transformed the iridescent shell into a table lamp. The shell softened and modulated the light, similar to the effect of Tiffany's Favrile glass shades, creating a warm glow reminiscent of the gas lighting familiar to the era. Item #: L-21744 Artist: Tiffany Studios New York Country: United States Circa: 1899 Dimensions: 17.5" height, 4.75" width, 8" deep. Materials: Nautilus shell, Bronze Base Signed: GUDEBROD and Tiffany Studios New York Literature: Alastair Duncan, "Tiffany Lamps and Metalware", Woodbridge, Suffolk, 2007, pg. 86, fig. 336. Macklowe Gallery Curator's Notes: The shape of the exotic nautilus, found in the western Pacific, has long been the muse of architects, artists, and designers. One only has to look to Grecian columns, to spiral staircases, or to the nautilus cups of the sixteenth century for examples. Louis Comfort Tiffany's glass interpretation of the "Nautilus" shell design was first displayed at the Paris Exposition Universelle 1900, where he was displaying the best lamps that he had to offer. By bringing this intricate and difficult-to-make model to the World's Fair, Tiffany was showing the international design world just how well-made and beautiful a Tiffany Studios New York lamp...