The 1906 Tiffany Studios Price List describes this floor base, model number 377 with a brown-green patina, as “Piano lamp, floor, large, plain.” Unlike today’s piano lamps, which sit on top of the instrument to directionally light sheet music, the term at the turn of the century typically referred to tall floor lamps that provided broad illumination. Pianos were a common accessory in late-nineteenth century homes, symbolizing refinement, and an impressive piano lamp served as a focal point in a parlor.

Panels of streaky green Favrile glass are set behind a metal filigree in the Etched Metal and Glass glove box. Made from acid-etched copper, the overlay was available in either a pine or grapevine pattern, finished either with a dark patina or a more expensive gold. Though the pattern’s designer is unknown, the layering is a suggestive parallel to the filigree wings in Tiffany Studios’ Dragonfly lamp shade, designed by Clara Driscoll. Unlike other Tiffany desk set patterns, the Etched Metal and Glass items offered consumers a chance to own pieces of the firm’s renowned glass at more affordable prices than a leaded glass lamp or window.

Louis C. Tiffany (1848–1933) was an artistic genius whose innovations spanned many media. He pursued blown glass with particular creative gusto, pushing both technical and aesthetic boundaries in glassmaking. Tiffany began working with flat glass in the 1870s but did not start producing blown vessels until 1893, when he commenced manufacturing his own glass. His Corona, Queens, factory, directed by English glassmaker Arthur John Nash (1849–1934), employed many skilled workmen in the production of blown and flat glass, as well as bronze and pottery.

In 1893, Tiffany’s factory produced its first glass vessels, many of them in organic, asymmetrical shapes and featuring ornamental feathering. He coined the term “Favrile” as a trademark for the glass, believing it connoted handmade quality. By 1894, Tiffany’s glassmakers had discovered how to achieve iridescence, the lustrous effect that became a hallmark of his blown vessels.

This vase is an example of “Cypriote” glass, so named for the glass excavated by Luigi Palma di Cesnola in Cyprus during the 1860s and later purchased by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Tiffany’s Cypriote glass is characterized by its bubbly, coarse surface, which resembled the pitted texture of buried Roman glass corroded by moisture and minerals. The effect was achieved by rolling a gather of glass over a marver covered with pulverized bits of the same glass, reheating it, and then blowing the vessel into its final form. Tiffany’s glassmakers were producing Cypriote vessels by late 1896.

The etched mark on the underside of this vase, “K250,” suggests a date of around 1899. A related Cypriote vase marked “K248” is in the Kunstgewerbemuseum in Berlin. It was purchased from Paris dealer Siegfried Bing, who was instrumental in promoting Tiffany’s glass and the Art Nouveau style in Europe.

The Wisteria lamp was one of Tiffany Studios' most popular models. These two lamps (see also N84.130) show dramatically different interpretations. One shade has a refined selection of purple and pale blue flowers (N84.130) while this lamp displays bold contrasts of blue and white clusters. When the demand for this shade exceeded the work capacity of the Tiffany Girls, Clara Driscoll was forced to turn over some orders to the Men's Department at the Corona factory. She made color studies to aid the men in selecting the glass. See also N84.127 for more information about the Wisteria lamp.

The Wisteria lamp was one of Tiffany Studios' most popular models. These two lamps (see also N84.132) show dramatically different interpretations. One shade has a refined selection of purple and pale blue flowers (N84.130), while the other displays bold contrasts of blue and white clusters. When the demand for this shade exceeded the work capacity of the Tiffany Girls, Clara Driscoll was forced to turn over some orders to the Men's Department at the Corona factory. She made color studies to aid the men in selecting the glass. See also N84.127 for more information on the Wisteria lamp.

The "Bookmark" shade, featuring emblems of early master printers, was especially suitable for lighting a bibliophile's library. Matching desk set pieces in the Bookmark pattern, such as inkwells, letter holders, and picture frames, were also available at the Tiffany Studios showroom.

The base may have been made by John Morgan & Sons of New York or Riviere Studios.

In 1905, Tiffany Studios moved their workshops and showroom from Fourth Avenue and 25th Street to larger quarters in the former Knickerbocker Athletic Club, located at the southeast corner of Madison Avenue and 45th Street. The firm undertook extensive remodeling both inside and out. At the center of the façade above four large glass display windows, Tiffany added a bowed sign of stone and Favrile glass reading “355 • TIFFANY STUDIOS • 347,” punctuated with decorative roundels. The pieces of glass that form the mosaic may have been selected and cut by Tiffany Studios’ Women’s Glasscutting Department, which was responsible for creating many of the firm’s iconic lamps.

Emma Stanley Kelly (1885-1969) kept this autograph book during the years she worked in the Women's Glasscutting Department at Tiffany Studios. Many of her fellow "Tiffany Girls" dedicated poems and good wishes to her, accompanied by charming watercolor sketches of nature-themed subjects similar to those they were rendering in glass. The sketches constitute the only artwork linked to individual Tiffany Girls.