About This Artwork

Design attributed to Clara Pierce Wolcott Driscoll (American, 1861-1944)
Made by Tiffany Studios (1902-1932)
Corona, New York

Hanging Head Dragonfly Shade on Mosaic and Turtleback Base, By 1906

Favrile glass and bronze
h: 86.4 cm (34 in.); diam: 57.2 cm (22 1/2 in.)
Shade model 1507 stamped: TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK 1507
Base model 355 impressed: TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK 5858
TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK
Roger and J. Peter McCormick endowments, Robert Allerton Purchase Fund, Goodman Endowment for the Collection of the Friends of American Art, Pauline S. Armstrong Endowment, Edward E. Ayer Endowment in memory of Charles L. Hutchinson; restricted gift of the Antiquarian Society in memory of Helen Richman Gilbert and Lena Turnbull Gilbert, Sandra van den Broek, Mr. and Mrs. Henry M. Buchbinder, Quinn E. Delaney, Mr. and Mrs. Wesley M. Dixon, Jamee and Marshall Field, Celia and David Hilliard, Elizabeth Souder Louis, Mrs. Herbert A. Vance, and Mr. and Mrs. Morris S. Weeden, 2006.2

American Art
Gallery 178

Around 1898 Louis Comfort Tiffany’s firm began creating lamps fitted for electricity using his trademark Favrile glass, which featured subtle shading and unique textural effects. As artistic director, Tiffany approved all patterns but designed relatively few lamps himself. Clara Driscoll, head of the Women’s Glass Cutting Department at Tiffany Studios, was likely responsible for the design of this shade and base. She began working for Tiffany in 1888, and she designed the majority of the firm’s lamps until she left the company in 1908 or 1909. This shade (which is larger than most models) harmoniously blends hues ranging from deep amethyst to bright green and incorporates glass cabochons and inverted dragonfly bodies with metal filigree overlay. The bronze base features iridescent turtleback tiles and lustrous glass mosaic. Although many lamps and bases were mass-produced, female glass selectors ensured that every lamp possessed an individualized color scheme. An example of Art Nouveau style in the United States, this work exemplifies Tiffany’s interest in handcraftsmanship and the organic quality of nature.