NEW YORK, NY.- This December Christie’s New York presents two sales, Masterpieces in Glass: The Nakamoto Collection and the various owner Design auction, both taking place on December 13. A major highlight of the season is a rare and important Tiffany Studios ‘Pond Lily’ Table Lamp from 1903 ($1,800,000-2,500,000) offered in the Design sale. An exceedingly rare form with an elaborate and rich glass selection, this lamp is one of Tiffany’s most impressive designs. A lamp of this caliber has not been on the market since 1997 when the ‘Pink Lotus’ lamp achieved a world record price of $2.8 million at Christie’s. Other highlights include iconic works by important designers such as two rare and important ‘Femmes Ailées’ sculptures by René Lalique (each $500,000-700,000) that were created for the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1900, a rare and important urn circa 1902 by Frank Lloyd Wright ($300,000-500,000) and three early ‘Moutons de Laine’ by François-Xavier Lalanne ($500,000-700,000) acquired directly from the artist.

Also selling on December 13th, Masterpieces in Glass: The Nakamoto Collection is the most important collection of French art glass to ever come to market. The sale consists of 122 glass objects by Émile Gallé and his key contemporaries, Daum, and Gabriel Argy-Rousseau.

MASTERPIECES IN GLASS: THE NAKAMOTO COLLECTION
The Nakamoto Collection is a museum quality grouping of French fin de siècle art glass of the very highest quality. Gallé’s artistry and imagination is exemplified through the various ‘pièces d’art’ from the Japanese collection that spans across his oeuvre. Art historian François le Tacon states that “Émile Gallé was not a craftsman but a creator whose ideas were interpreted by a highly capable team of graphic artists, glassblowers, engravers, and enamellers whom he allowed a generous degree of individual expressive freedom.” Highlights by Emile Gallé include a ‘Lys’ vase, 1900-1903 ($350,000-550,000) and a ‘Joyaux de la Mer’ coupe, 1904 ($150,000-250,000).

The Daum works epitomize the stylistic transition from Art Nouveau to Art Deco and a company successfully adapting to changing tastes. Exceptional works include a ‘Coloquinte’ vase, circa 1910 ($100,000-150,000) and a ‘Grappes de Raisins’ coupe, circa 1905 ($250,000-350,000).

This sale presents a rare opportunity to admire masterpieces from a pivotal moment of artistic expression and technical advancement at the turn of the last century.

AN AMERICAN ICON: LOUIS COMFORT TIFFANY'S POND LILY
Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933) is widely recognized as one of America’s most important and influential artists. He rose to fame through his leaded glass windows, reached international renown after his award-winning exhibition at the 1900 Paris Exposition. Shortly thereafter, his firm began producing leaded glass lamps that received worldwide acclaim. One of his most impressive and successful designs was the ‘Pond Lily’ lamp, and Christie’s is proud to offer one of the finest examples ever made. This lamp exemplifies the best qualities of Tiffany’s brilliant aesthetic instincts and the superior craftsmanship for which his company is so well known. In addition to the ‘Pond Lily’ we are also offering a superb ‘Laburnum’ Table Lamp, circa 1905 ($400,000-600,000).