Louis Comfort Tiffany: Magnolias and Irises Music Box

Description

Louis Comfort Tiffany’s (American, 1848–1933) leaded-glass window Magnolias and Irises of around 1908 is a highlight of the Museum’s American Wing. A detail from this window is reproduced on the cover of our enchanting musical jewelry box.

Wood, with ceramic tile top and velvet interior. Black lacquered finish. Plays music from the ballet Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky when open. 5''L x 7''W x 2 1/2''D.

Art History

A master of many media, Louis Comfort Tiffany (American, 1848–1933) was one of America’s most noted decorative artists at the turn of the twentieth century. Son of the founder of the silver and jewelry firm Tiffany & Co. of New York, he began his career as a painter but moved quickly to interior decoration and leaded-glass windows, creating innovative types of opalescent glass that radiated deep, vibrant hues. Using variations in color and thickness of glass, he achieved pictorial effects of unsurpassed subtlety and beauty. Louis C. Tiffany designed the leaded-glass window Magnolias and Irises, which was produced about 1908, as a memorial to the Frank family of New York. Delicately rendered irises and magnolia blossoms form a frame in the foreground with a winding river disappearing into distant hills.