Louis Comfort Tiffany
Vase

Public Domain

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Designer Louis Comfort Tiffany American, 1848–1933

MakerMade by Tiffany Glass & Decorating CompanyAmerican, 1892–1902

CultureAmerican

Titles

Vase

Datec. 1892–1893

PlaceNew York, New York, United States

MediumGlass

Dimensions21 1/2 × 8 3/8 × 8 3/8 in. (54.6 × 21.3 × 21.3 cm)

Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by J. Brian and Varina Eby, by exchange

Object number90.378

Current Location

The Audrey Jones Beck Building

109 Long & Sarofim Gallery

On view

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Department

Decorative Arts, Craft, and Design

Object Type

GLASS

DescriptionBy 1892, Louis Comfort Tiffany—son of the Tiffany & Co. founder—was already well known for his work as an interior decorator and designer of stained-glass windows and lamps. But in that year, he developed a glass-coloring technique that would seal his reputation as America´s greatest Art Nouveau designer. Called Favrile, a twist on an Old English word meaning handmade, it was created by exposing molten glass to metallic vapors. Rather than just sitting on the surface, the color was embedded in the glass itself giving it a beautiful, iridescent quality. Tiffany himself considered this peacock-feather vase to be an important example of his work, featuring it prominently in hi 1914 catalogue "The Art Work of Louis C. Tiffany."
Provenance[J. Alastair Duncan, Ltd., New York]; purchased by MFAH, 1990.
Exhibition HistoryEXHIBITED The Twentieth Century: Decorative Arts from the Permanent Collection, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston September 30, 1995 thru February 18, 1996

"American Made: 250 Years of American Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston," The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 7 July 2012 - 2 January 2013.

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