Accession Number
1972/2.213

Title
Bowl

Artist(s)
Louis Comfort Tiffany

Object Creation Date
circa 1896-1900

Medium & Support
iridescent green glass

Dimensions
2 5/16 x 4 3/4 x 4 3/4 in. (5.8 x 12 x 12 cm);2 5/16 x 4 3/4 x 4 3/4 in. (5.8 x 12 x 12 cm)

Credit Line
University purchase 1930, transferred to the Museum of Art, 1972/2.213

Label copy
In conversation with Jennifer Perry Thalheimer, Collections Manager, Charles Hosmer Morse Museum, Rollins College, Winter Park, FL (6/27/06) comes the following information:
There is work ongoing about the numbers on paper labels or etched into the bases of Tiffany glass works to establish what they might indicate as to dating, style, inventory, etc.

Subject matter
Tiffany was conversant with glass (both mosaics and blown glass vessels) from different cultures and epochs, including that of ancient Rome. This miniature vase exhibits Tiffany's mastery of asymmetrical form (which recalls late antique glass as well as sharing in the aesthetic of Art Nouveau) and recalls the beautiful small bottles that contained perfumes or precious oils excavated from Roman sites. Tiffany's gorgeous use of color and iridescence in a small vase such as this also evokes the iridescence of excavated Roman glass--not an intended effect in the Roman work but a result of chemical changes in the glass as a consequence of contact with acidic and moist earth. In this small vase, Tiffany conjures up all the rich association of late Roman glass as well as the opulent color and lines of Tiffany's contemporary arts and crafts.

Physical Description
Glass bowl-shaped vessel with the suggestion of lobes with a large flared lip and iridescent in color in shades of greens and blues

Primary Object Classification
Decorative Arts

Primary Object Type
glass

Collection Area
Western

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
bowl
bowls (vessels)
glass
modern and contemporary art
vessels