By Thomas Webb & Sons
Located in New Orleans, LA
A superb example of the cameo glass created by Thomas Webb & Sons for Tiffany & Co., this extraordinary vase was crafted especially for the Paris Universelle Exposition of 1889. Bearing the coveted "Gem Cameo" mark, it was made by the famed team of George and Thomas Woodall. While thousands of pieces of cameo glass were produced under the Woodall brothers’ guidance, only the most important examples bear the "Gem Cameo" acid-etched stamp; that this vase was also exhibited at one of history’s most important world’s fairs makes it a truly exceptional example from the period.
The vase displays two of the Woodalls' most important innovations in cameo glass. The first was their use of the cutting wheel, which allowed them to achieve greater detail and complexity in their designs. Second, the designers would lay a bluish tint over white glass, a technique that lent the design a greater range of shading and depth. This example, with its deeply hued cranberry background overlaid with a white floral motif, represents cameo glass at its very best.
The vase is pictured on page 24 of The Cameo Glass of Thomas and George Woodall, 2000, by C. Woodall Perry.
Stamped "Tiffany & Co. / Paris Exhibition...
Category
19th Century English Other Antique Thomas Webb & Sons Decorative Objects