Tiffany 18-Light Lamp, Betty Woodman Earthenware, and More at Bonhams

The woman behind the famous Tiffany glass lamps was Clara Driscoll (1861 – 1944). She came from a humble farming family in Ohio. Driscoll started working at Tiffany Glass Studios in 1887 and soon became the head of the company’s women’s glass cutting department. She designed the Tiffany Dragonfly lamp that won a prize at the Paris International Exposition in 1900. A 1910 Tiffany Studios 18-light lily table lamp likely designed by Driscoll during this period is among the leading lots in the upcoming Modern Design | Art Auction at Bonhams. The lamp has iridescent favrile shades, patinated bronze tubes, and a base, each shade incised ‘L.C.T. Favrile.’

A pitcher designed by Betty Woodman is also available in this sale. Following the death of her daughter in 1981, Woodman (1930-2018) subsequently shifted her work from functional pottery to abstract works. This transformed her career from a potter to a renowned American ceramic artist. She started to create things that would bring positive energy, instead of fitting into a mold. The available Large Pillow Pitcher from circa 1980 is a glazed earthenware piece stamped ‘Woodman’ underneath the handle. The catalog also offers furniture from Louis Vuitton, Audoux Minet, Mario Bellini, and Paolo Buffa; sculptures by Marshal Fredericks; and modern decorative design. View the complete Modern Design | Art catalog and register to bid at Bonhams.