{"product_id":"tiffany-studios-lantern-for-the-vanderbilt-mansion","title":"Tiffany Studios Lantern for the Vanderbilt Mansion","description":"Lantern for the Moorish Smoking Room in the Cornelius Vanderbilt II Mansion\u003cbr\u003e Louis Comfort Tiffany\u003cbr\u003e Circa 1881 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Created by Louis Comfort Tiffany circa 1881, this extraordinary lantern was designed for the Moorish Smoking Room of Cornelius Vanderbilt II’s palatial Fifth Avenue mansion. One of eight unique lanterns created for the room, it formed part of one of the most theatrical interiors of the Gilded Age. Tiffany had recently returned from travels through North Africa and Spain, drawing inspiration from the Alhambra and Islamic architecture as he developed the room’s distinct aesthetic. The resulting interior was hailed by period observers as “the most important example of decorative work yet attempted in this country.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Octagonal and baluster-shaped, the lantern features an intricate patinated bronze framework inset with panels of leaded, rippled white glass and iridescent “fire opal” glass. When illuminated, the glass produces a warm, flame-like glow, translating the visual language of Moorish lighting into Tiffany’s distinctive vocabulary of glass, metal and light. Originally mounted to the walls of the smoking room, the lanterns were later removed and some converted for hanging. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Louis Comfort Tiffany was among the premier artistic craftsmen of the Gilded Age, creating coveted interiors and objects for America’s wealthiest families. The Vanderbilt mansion, completed in 1883 and occupying an entire Fifth Avenue block between 57th and 58th Streets, was demolished in 1926, and much of its extraordinary interior was lost. The eight Moorish Smoking Room lanterns were among the elements preserved, later passing to Loew’s State Theatre in Syracuse. With only eight created for the Vanderbilt commission, surviving examples are exceptionally rare. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 32\" length x 14\" diameter \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Literature:\u003cbr\u003e “Decorative Notes,” \u003cem\u003eThe Decorator and Furnisher\u003c\/em\u003e, vol. 30, no. 3, June 1897, p. 87\u003cbr\u003e H. A. La Farge, “John La Farge’s Work in the Vanderbilt Houses,” \u003cem\u003eThe American Art Journal\u003c\/em\u003e, vol. XVI, no. 4, Autumn 1984, p. 65\u003cbr\u003e H. W. Desmond and H. Croly, \u003cem\u003eStately Homes in America from Colonial Times to the Present Day\u003c\/em\u003e, New York, 1903, p. 507\u003cbr\u003e J. L. Yarnall, “Souvenirs of Splendor: John La Farge and the Patronage of Cornelius Vanderbilt II,” \u003cem\u003eThe American Art Journal\u003c\/em\u003e, vol. 26, no. 1\/2, 1994, p. 88\u003cbr\u003e M. A. Johnson, \u003cem\u003eLouis Comfort Tiffany: Artist for the Ages\u003c\/em\u003e, London, 2005, pp. 63–66\u003cbr\u003e M. Gay Humphreys, “The Cornelius Vanderbilt House,” \u003cem\u003eThe Art Amateur\u003c\/em\u003e, vol. 8, no. 6, May 1883, p. 136\u003cbr\u003e R. Koch, \u003cem\u003eLouis C. Tiffany, Rebel in Glass\u003c\/em\u003e, New York, 1964, pp. 20–21, pp. 42–43 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Provenance:\u003cbr\u003e Cornelius Vanderbilt II, New York, acquired directly from the artist, circa 1881\u003cbr\u003e Loew’s State Theatre, Syracuse, NY, after 1926\u003cbr\u003e Private collection, Colorado, circa 1977\u003cbr\u003e Private collection, Minnesota\u003cbr\u003e Private collection, Colorado, since 1990s\u003cbr\u003e M.S. Rau, New Orleans\u003cbr\u003e Private collection, Wyoming\u003cbr\u003e M.S. Rau, New Orleans\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"M.S. Rau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45550850605191,"sku":"32-2600","price":198500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0083\/2471\/0466\/files\/32-2600_1.png?v=1786994485","url":"https:\/\/rauantiques.com\/products\/tiffany-studios-lantern-for-the-vanderbilt-mansion","provider":"M.S. Rau","version":"1.0","type":"link"}