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Tiffany Studios New York 'Zodiac" Picture Frame
SOLD
$15,000
A gilt bronze “Zodiac” picture frame by Tiffany Studios New York. The picture frame features a double spiral and borders of intricate Celtic interlace interspersed with circular medallions in sky blue, each of which features a stylized depiction of one of the 12 signs of the Zodiac, all executed in enamel. The double spiral is thought to signify balance, no doubt owing to the symmetry of the dual spirals. This symbolism is sometimes further extended, suggesting that the double spiral represents the equinox, when day and night are of equal length and an important time in much of early Celtic culture and religion. Tiffany observed Celtic Interlace in the pages of the famed Book of Kells, whose discovery sparked the Celtic Revival in England and the United States. Interlace was also commonly used to adorn Celtic cross gravestones, commonly used as reference for Tiffany Studios' funerary department.
- Product Details
- Curator's Notes
Item #: T-21636
Artist: Tiffany Studios New York
Country: United States
Circa: 1900
Dimensions: 7.875" height, 7.125" width, 4.125" depth.
Materials: Gilt Bronze, Enamel, Glass
Signed: Tiffany Studios New York 942
Literature: Tiffany Desk Treasures: A Collector's Guide, Kemeny and Miller, ppg. 37-40,
Duncan, Alastair, and Tiffany Studios (New York, N.Y.). Tiffany Lamps and Metalware : An Illustrated Reference to over 2000 Models. 1st ed, Antique Collector’s Club, 2007. no.1758
For more information about how the signs of the Zodiac captured the imaginations of turn of the century artists like Tiffany, look to our "Celestial Beings: The Birth of Astrology" article in the From Our Study section of the Macklowe Gallery website.