The dragonfly repeatedly served as a source of inspiration for Louis Comfort Tiffany and the artists at Tiffany Studios; the insect, with its finely detailed wings, appeared in designs for jewelry, Favrile Glass mosaics, and, most famously, an iconic series of Tiffany Lamps designed by Clara Driscoll at the turn of the twentieth century.
In this example of the design, a 20-inch diameter conical leaded glass shade depicts a series of dragonflies with kelly green bodies, their wings articulated in a variegated amber glass mounted with delicate filigree. These jewel-toned insects hover above background glass ranging from shades of green near the crown to a golden amber near the lower edge of the shade. The upper register is scattered with rounded pressed Tiffany Glass “Jewels” in a matching amber color, while the eyes of the dragonflies are formed by rounded Tiffany Glass jewels in a bright shade of teal, standing out from the overall color palette of the shade.
This spectacular Dragonfly shade is paired with the Four Virtues Table Base in a rich brown-green patina, the squared cylindrical stem of the base featuring stylized representations of the cardinal virtues accompanied by Latin inscriptions and Renaissance style scrolling decoration.
Both the shade and base of this original Tiffany lamp are signed.
Height: 25 ½ inches (65 cm)
Diameter: 20 inches (50.8 cm)