Incollect Magazine - Issue 13

Incollect Magazine 49 What is the most valuable Tiffany glass item you have for sale? We are fortunate to have an extremely early and rare Tiffany stained glass window after a painting by Louis Comfort Tiffany. At the peak of his business enterprises, there were a number of talented artists who designed the most celebrated Tiffany windows, but very few can be attributed directly to the artist himself. How do you determine the authenticity of Tiffany glass? Decades of hands-on experience have honed my eye, and a photographic memory doesn't hurt. What would you buy from your own inventory if you had up to $5,000 to spend, up to $25,000 to spend, and up to $250,000 to spend? Up to $5,000, I would buy an early Tiffany decorated glass cabinet vase. Up to $25,000, I would buy a Tiffany cameo glass claret pitcher with a Tiffany & Co. silver mount. And up to $250,000, I would buy a Tiffany Studios “Lotus” design table lamp. How is the current market for American art glass? The market is on fire. Tiffany glass continues to be a driving force in the market and has been for a few decades now. Intaglio Decorated “Reactive” Paperweight Vase, Tiffany Studios, circa 1900-03. Featuring fine wheel- carved decoration with a body of “Reactive” Favrile Glass, a technically complex blown glass with color tones that shift, or react, to the effects of light. Left: Rare Autumn Leaves Globe Lamp, Tiffany Glass & Decorating Company, circa 1900. One of the most technically complex shades, it was only produced for a short time. Supported by a bronze Artichoke base. Right: Early Nasturtium Trellis Hanging Shade, Tiffany Studios, circa 1902-04. Nasturtium blossoms, vines and leaves twine through the trellis structure, spilling over the bottom edge in a naturalistic fashion. The shade is composed of exceptional pieces of Tiffany glass, including rippled, mottled and streaked effects.