General exhibition window, rose
Leaded glass Tiffany Studios, New York City, 1902–32 70 1/2 x 58 5/8 in. (62-034)Made in 1906 for general exhibition, Louis Comfort Tiffany’s rose window is a stunning display of skill and design. The Museum welcomed this significant work home in February 2019 after its stay of almost a year at the Brooklyn, New York, conservation studio of Clerkin Higgins Stained Glass. Treatment included repairing breaks in the glass, flattening the panel, and creating a better support structure. Featuring formal decorative ornamentation derivative of lace patterns, the window mosaic reflects the Rococo style popular at the time. The delicate composition is comprised of more than 3,000 pieces of cut glass—some no larger than a lady bug. Such intricacy of design was possible by using the copper-foil technique that was more commonly associated with Tiffany Studios’ leaded-glass lamps. The glass, some pieces curved, some angled, was scored and broken bit by bit until the desired shape was reached. Then edges of each piece were wrapped with thin strips of copper foil, laid out according to the pattern, and joined together with solder. As a testament to Tiffany’s pride in the rose window, it was reproduced in The Art Work of Louis Comfort Tiffany, the 1914 authorized biography by Charles de Kay. This extraordinary window was eventually installed in the stairwell of Tiffany’s Long Island mansion, Laurelton Hall.