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Tiffany Lamps Are A Girl’s Best Friend

A A A Comments By Penn Bullock Thursday, Jan 24 2008

A 30-piece collection of Tiffany lamps, glassware, candlesticks, and desk sets go on display at the Boca Museum (501 Plaza Real, Boca Raton) today. Admittedly, “Tiffany Studios: The Holtzmann Collection” sounds boring, but the history behind this collection excites. The Tiffany lamp is the centerpiece of the exhibit; it’s also the emblem of Art Nouveau. As a sort of Rousseauist aesthetic, Art Nouveau swept the upper classes of Europe, starting around 1880 (before the time of Home & Garden). In 1895, Louis Comfort Tiffany designed a lamp with a bronze trunk and floral, stained-glass shades. Splendid as a Bonsai tree, the lamp fit nicely with the naturalism of Art Nouveau. At a recent auction, one of the handcrafted lighting appliances sold for $8 million. Mysteriously, Art Nouveau fell off in 1914, the first year of World War I, and was followed loosely by Art Deco.

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Louis Tiffany, as his name indicates, was an heir to Tiffany & Co., the “stationery and fancy goods emporium” that blinged-up the families of the Gilded Age, inadvertently designed the New York Yankees insignia, and now holds a trademark on a color, its famous regal turquoise. Don’t be surprised if Audrey Hepburn arrives at the museum and swoons in front of a glass display-case. Admission costs $20 or less. Call 561-392-2500, or visit www.bocamuseum.org.
Jan. 25-April 27, 2008

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