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Peacock Mosaic from entrance hall of the Henry O. Havemeyer house, New York

Louis Comfort Tiffany1890/1891

University of Michigan Museum of Art

University of Michigan Museum of Art
Ann Arbor, United States

  • Title: Peacock Mosaic from entrance hall of the Henry O. Havemeyer house, New York
  • Creator: Louis Comfort Tiffany
  • Creator Lifespan: 1848/1933
  • Creator Nationality: American
  • Creator Gender: Male
  • Creator Death Place: New York, New York
  • Creator Birth Place: New York, New York
  • Date Created: 1890/1891
  • Location: New York State
  • Physical Dimensions: w162.6 x h132.08 x d10.16 mm (work)
  • Label Copy: This mosaic employing one of Tiffany's signature motifs -the peacock- was the centerpiece of the foyer to the Havemeyer's opulent house; it was placed over the large fireplace that dominated the room. Tiffany has used a wide variety of glass types in this mosaic - translucent, opaque, cabochon, and gem-cut glass among them - making it a true technical tour de force. Some portions, such as the scrolling vine motif along the bottom of the mosaic (which is repeated in the palmette mosaic frieze) are flat, two-dimensional decorative passages. Other parts are richly descriptive of three-dimensional form, such as the crimped and folded glass that comprises the bodies of the peacocks, who face each other in heraldic fashion with magnificent spreading tails. Tiffany devised a creative means of depicting the tail feathers: clear, rippled glass with an iridescent surface has copper foil behind it, providing a characteristic reflective luster.
  • Type: Decorative Arts
  • External Link: http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1986.146.9/1986.146.9.JPG?lasttype=boolean;lastview=thumbnail;resnum=1;sel9=ic_exact;size=20;sort=relevance;start=1;subview=detail;view=entry;rgn1=musart_an;select1=starts;q1=1986.146.9
  • Medium: Favrile glass, pottery, and plaster
University of Michigan Museum of Art

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