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Lot Essay
A COLLECTOR'S PRIZED ENCOUNTER
TIFFANY'S RAMBLING ROSE
Vito D’Agostino, a New York teacher, was inspired by the artistry and craftmanship exhibited in the lighting and mosaic panels produced by Tiffany Studios. In his pursuit of these beloved works, D’Agostino built one of the most storied, early collections of Tiffany. He was dedicated enough to acquire many works when Tiffany was liquidated in 1936. By 1933, he was fortunate to gain an invitation to Laurelton Hall, Louis Comfort Tiffany’s home on Long Island, where he experienced the spectacular gardens and sprawling estate inspired by nature. This visit solidified his resolve to seek out the best and most unusual Tiffany pieces. A short list of the outstanding works that this tenacious collector was able to find over the years includes the Gould landscape window (later in the Garden Museum Collection), and the ‘Squash’ lamp at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. In 1998, Christie’s offered a magnificent ‘Magnolia’ floor lamp from D’Agostino’s collection and in 2001 Christie’s also offered a rare ‘Poppy’ shade with exceptional coloration and composition.
Also within the collection was the present ‘Yellow Rose’ shade, one of only two known examples of this model. From the Tiffany Studios 1913 Price List, no. 1904, the 26 inch diameter YELLOW ROSE of domed shape, cost $350. Sotheby’s New York offered a ‘Rambling Rose Trellis’ floor lamp in 1989 at an estimate of $50,000-70,000, Property from the Estate of Luigi DiScala, selling for $132,000. This same lamp appeared on the auction market again in 1997, at Sotheby’s New York, with a slightly higher estimate of $80,000-120,000, ultimately reaching a buyer at $261,000. The density of the design and the rarity of the shade undoubtedly allowed for the lamp to soar beyond market expectation.
Presented here is the other rare example of this model, formerly from the collection of Vito D’Agostino. The shade demonstrates the rambling canary yellow and amber toned roses abounding from a mottled deep brown and green vinery, all fastened to a pale peach lattice work. The background is an opalescent pink and streaky baby blue with spots of deeper blue sky reminiscent of a slightly cloudy morning dawn.
TIFFANY'S RAMBLING ROSE
Vito D’Agostino, a New York teacher, was inspired by the artistry and craftmanship exhibited in the lighting and mosaic panels produced by Tiffany Studios. In his pursuit of these beloved works, D’Agostino built one of the most storied, early collections of Tiffany. He was dedicated enough to acquire many works when Tiffany was liquidated in 1936. By 1933, he was fortunate to gain an invitation to Laurelton Hall, Louis Comfort Tiffany’s home on Long Island, where he experienced the spectacular gardens and sprawling estate inspired by nature. This visit solidified his resolve to seek out the best and most unusual Tiffany pieces. A short list of the outstanding works that this tenacious collector was able to find over the years includes the Gould landscape window (later in the Garden Museum Collection), and the ‘Squash’ lamp at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. In 1998, Christie’s offered a magnificent ‘Magnolia’ floor lamp from D’Agostino’s collection and in 2001 Christie’s also offered a rare ‘Poppy’ shade with exceptional coloration and composition.
Also within the collection was the present ‘Yellow Rose’ shade, one of only two known examples of this model. From the Tiffany Studios 1913 Price List, no. 1904, the 26 inch diameter YELLOW ROSE of domed shape, cost $350. Sotheby’s New York offered a ‘Rambling Rose Trellis’ floor lamp in 1989 at an estimate of $50,000-70,000, Property from the Estate of Luigi DiScala, selling for $132,000. This same lamp appeared on the auction market again in 1997, at Sotheby’s New York, with a slightly higher estimate of $80,000-120,000, ultimately reaching a buyer at $261,000. The density of the design and the rarity of the shade undoubtedly allowed for the lamp to soar beyond market expectation.
Presented here is the other rare example of this model, formerly from the collection of Vito D’Agostino. The shade demonstrates the rambling canary yellow and amber toned roses abounding from a mottled deep brown and green vinery, all fastened to a pale peach lattice work. The background is an opalescent pink and streaky baby blue with spots of deeper blue sky reminiscent of a slightly cloudy morning dawn.