Important and Rare 'Arch and Leaf' Table Lamp, circa 1905

'The color combinations and lusters of evanescent tints combine...to present to waking senses all the beauty of an iridescent dream'
- "New Ideas in Glass," The Sun, October 17, 1895

The Arch and Leaf lamp base is an exquisite example of Tiffany’s stylistic genius. It epitomizes the Art Nouveau era, symbolizing nature and growth in all of its elements. Roots of the earth that form the archways give way to delicate leaves of life in their alcoves which are pierced to allow air, the most basic and necessary of elements to pass through. The Arch and Leaf lamp base appears in a photograph of the 1913 Metal Showroom, as well as in a historical photograph by Tiffany Studios, documenting its importance and the monumentality and daring nature of Tiffany Studios designs. The present lot with its silvered-bronze base contrasts beautifully with the seven iridized green Favrile globe shades, each complemented by a ring of rare pendant lustres. Only one other example of the Arch and Leaf with seven-lights is known to exist, in a variant patina and with prism lustres.