*1920s Tiffin Fruit Bowl Molded Glass Lamp.Figural Base

This spectacular estate find is not signed but is always attributed to Tiffin (US Glass) in any reference work I've found it in (and those are few and far between for this less common version of this concept).

It is molded glass that has been painted to glow with the colors of the fruit it depicts, and is set onto a figural base with painted lead or cast iron figures of women.  I have seen a couple different bases for this when I was looking through auction results, both very different from each other and neither one anything like this.  The base fits the glass perfectly, which has me thinking this may have been a specialty base created by someone (such as a department store or specialty shop) to use with the Tiffin piece.  I don't know.  The aging of both appears to be the same, the fit is perfect, and it's really cool looking. 

The base has lost paint, as you can see, but the presentation remains stunning.  It appears to me that the lamp has been rewired with a newer light socket at some point. It has a turn switch built into the back of the base; sometimes it's harder to turn on than other times, but it does work.

The glass piece itself has been very well preserved.  I don't find any chips or cracks.  The underside has kind of a frosted finish that it look like someone started to remove for some reason, but it hasn't taken off the color nor do I see any effect when the lamp is lit, and certainly has no effect when it's not.  I have seen this piece described as being reverse painted, but I don't agree: the enamel paint appears to be to be on the top surface.  The coverage remains at close to 100%; I note one minor rub-out on the high point of the top apple. 

The diameter of the glass piece is about 12" across; the ring that sits into the base is about 8" across.  Total height of the piece is 11".

A rare treat and a great find.  Don't let this one get away!

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