Tiffany Studios New York "Curtain Border" Chandelier

This exquisite curtain-border chandelier is suspended from a matching plafonnier canopy crowned with an upper band of filigree, a delicate ornamental metalwork of twisted wires, and fitted with eight pulled-feather tulip shades, so called for their combed glass decoration that creates a soft, feather-like pattern within the form. The dome is dominated by a broad field of mottled amber and yellow glass tiles, while the lower register, in lighter tones of lemon yellow and yellow-green, is composed of vertical panels arranged to evoke gadrooning, a series of convex, fluted lobes often used in classical decorative arts, and punctuated by a border of four-pointed stars, adding a rhythmic geometric accent to the design. The bottom border is composed of a row of ripple glass panels. Ripple Glass was a variety of textured glass made using a moving table and a roller geared to move slightly faster. It was used extensively by Tiffany as early as 1878 and often mimicked the appearance of water, or in this case, the fringe of a curtain.