Tiffany Studios Byzantine inkstand arts and crafts

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Tiffany Studios Byzantine inkstand arts and crafts

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Sold Date: 09/04/2007
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Glass

Offerred for your consideration is one of the rarest of the Tiffany Desk items--the Byzantine inkstand. Properly marked Tiffany studios New York 843 on the base (picture 7), it has a glass (not favrile) inkwell stamped 59 on the bottom (see pictures 3 and 5). Dimensions: about 43/8 inches in diameter 23/4 inches high to top of cover and circumference 133/4 inches. Inkwell is 11/4 inches high and 13/4 inches in diameter. I do not know if the inkwell is original. Condition is superb original gold finish. Provenance: from a major auction house. According to the book Tiffany Desk treasures-a collectors guide, every desk set piece in the Byzantine pattern is composed of bronze castings with two dominant decorative elements--multiple circular bands of bronze beads of various sizes and glass cabochons of various sizes fixed in prepared recesses. As you can see, the overall effect is very beautiful and the glass cabochons have a slight range of color from brick red to deep orange.

Picture 9 is from this book-pg 41 fig.19. I have included it because I have examined my inkwell very closely and it matches this picture in EVERY DETAIL including size,shape and coloration of every cabochon and I believe it to be the exact inkwell that is photographed in the book (for example, if you were to look closely at the picture in the book you will note a miniscule nick of the square cabochon at 7:00 o'clock. and t is such an identical blemish on my inkstand.) This pattern was sold from 1908 to 1914 during the Arts and Crafts era when furniture makers like Stickley, Limbert and Rohlfs and potteries like Newcomb, Rookwood Grueby, SEG, wre active and during these years was the most expensive commercial pattern by far, according to the book noted above. It was apparently very difficult to produce requiring placement of the glass beads by hand and along with the detail of the bronze work made production costs high. For example, t are five groupings of 5 small beads around a larger bead around the perimeter of the cover and in the center 11 small beads around the larger center bead,then t are five square cabochons between the smaller perimeter bead groupings and five thin rectangular cabochons around the central bead grouping which totals 52 pieces of glass that had to be placed. Not surprisingly, Byzantine inkstands are rare and desireable and expensive!

The work of Tiffany studios is known universally for quality and aesthetic magnificence. Although the lamps are best known, the desk sets offer an opportunuity to acquire products of Louis Comfort Tiffany's studio for a fraction of the cost of the lamps. Tiffany studios items of this quality are usually obtainable only at auction houses or high end galleries with attendant taxes,markups or auction premiums and are definitely considered investment worthy antiques. This your opportunity to acquire an heirloom quality item. Please note money back if not as described.

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