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Tiffany's work in enamels was a logical extension of his
efforts in stained glass: enameled objects are essentially made of glass
and glass silicate colored with metallic oxides that are applied to copper
and other metals and then fired at high temperatures. Despite the connection
between the two, few American glassmakers experimented in this medium. Among
the revivals in the arts and crafts, enameling was not embraced to the extent
that other techniques were, especially in America.
Tiffany's experiments began in 1898, initially in a workshop
in his Madison Avenue home. He then moved his operations to his Twenty-third
Street headquarters and in 1903 to his own shop, then called Tiffany Furnaces,
at Corona, Queens. His enamels were primarily translucent, with a golden
luminescence. To achieve this effect, Tiffany applied a layer of gold or
silver foil, which would reflect light through successive colors, before
he brushed his glass colors onto the copper surface. Iridescence was attained
by spraying a mixture of tin chloride and water or alcohol on the surface.
Instead of using traditional opaque colors in a limited range, separated
by tiny metal strips, as in the cloisonn?or champlev?techniques, Tiffany
broadened his palette by painting directly on the prepared surface, layering
the translucent colors, as he did in plating his stained glass, to achieve
different hues. His enamels were first exhibited publicly at the 1900 Exposition
Universelle in Paris, where their iridescence was highly acclaimed.
The enameling department was small and was staffed primarily,
if not exclusively, by women, and production was limited—probably
not exceeding 750 pieces. Patricia Gay headed the operation at the beginning
and worked there for about two decades. Julia Munson, a talented member
of the team, was assisted by Alice C. Gouvy, who, as evidenced by several
signed drawings, was one of the principal designers. She took charge of
the department when it moved to Tiffany Furnaces.
The department produced primarily decorative vases, bowls,
and covered boxes. The ornamentation varied widely, from patterns created
by the enamel itself on an otherwise smooth surface to more unusual, deep
repouss?floral, vegetable, and fruit motifs, literally hammered into the
metal before the enamels were applied. The enameling department at Tiffany
Furnaces ceased operations in 1907, though enameling was continued in jewelry
production at Tiffany and Company. As an indication of his esteem for his
enamels, Tiffany kept a number of examples for his own collection and placed
them on view at the Metropolitan in 1925, at the time he loaned his Favrile
glass vases.
Enamels introduction:
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