Abalone Picture Frame

The Abalone Set was one of the most popular desk set patterns offered by Tiffany Studios. It was in regular production for several decades, from around 1906 through the late 1920s; the Abalone set was one of the few Desk Sets still listed in the company’s 1929 Price List. Tiffany Studios produced a range of picture frame models as part of the Abalone Set.

This easel-backed gilt bronze picture frame, with an oval opening which displays a 5 ½” high x 4” wide photograph, features a decorative border depicting stylized grape clusters, with each grape formed by inset discs of shimmering abalone shell, encircled by swirling linear channels representing twisting grape vines and leaves. In this example, these recesses were filled with polychrome enamel in a deep shade of green, complementing the naturalistic decoration.

Louis Comfort Tiffany was fascinated by naturally occurring iridescence, and incorporated natural materials like Abalone shell into some of his most innovative designs. The Abalone Desk Set was an effort to distill Tiffany’s vision for the commercial market.

Height: 10 ¼ inches (26 cm)
Width: 7 ¼ inches (17.8 cm)