Rare “Rock Crystal” Cameo Vase

This luminous Tiffany Favrile Glass Vase – part of the rare “Rock Crystal” series – features finely executed cameo decoration.

Louis Comfort Tiffany and Arthur Nash, the glass chemist at the head of Tiffany’s early glassblowing enterprise, began to experiment with the production of intaglio and cameo Favrile Glass in the mid-1890s, refining their methods with a select team of highly specialized glass engravers in the first years of the 20th century.

Around 1903, Nash developed a new glass formula that resulted in a series of finely carved Favrile Glass vases he referred to as “Rock Crystal,” intending to replicate the luminosity and ornamented surfaces of popularly collected antique quartz bottles from China and the Far East.
Leslie Nash, who served as Tiffany’s production manager after his father retired, described “Rock Crystal” Favrile Glass as “somewhat like moonstone only more delicate.”

Across the surface of this rounded vase, a naturalistic motif in high relief of large white blossoms with curling petals deep purple millefiori centers is surrounded by swirling vines and pointed leaves in deep green. A subtle secondary layer of leaves was carved in low relief directly into the transparent base glass. The background of the vase was further engraved with an irregular wave pattern, resulting in a frosted effect.

This rare example of authentic Tiffany glass is inscribed on the underside with signature and date code.

Height: 4 ¾ inches (12 cm)

References:
Martin Eidelberg, Tiffany Favrile Glass and the Quest of Beauty, Lillian Nassau LLC, 2007, pg. 53
Martin Eidelberg and Nancy McLelland, Behind the Scenes of Tiffany Glassmaking: The Nash Notebooks, St. Martin’s Press, 2001, pg. 66