Tiffany Studios Peacock Mirror, ca. 1905
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GUEST:
I found this beautiful mirror in a yard sale in Hurley, New Mexico.
APPRAISER:
Do you know who made it?
GUEST:
No. I didn't find any marks on it.
APPRAISER:
Do you know what it's made of?
GUEST:
No, my guess was maybe copper and maybe some mother-of-pearl here.
APPRAISER:
Okay. Well, this is a mirror that was made by Tiffany Studios. What did you pay for this?
GUEST:
Two dollars.
APPRAISER:
Well, there are people who collect Tiffany in New Mexico, and they're going to be very sorry they didn't go to this yard sale. Because this is a very rare piece. It's a peacock mirror that Tiffany made circa 1905, Tiffany Studios. It came in at least four different shapes and sizes. This is one of the smaller sizes, one of the less elaborate versions of it. But what is great about it is you have this beautiful chased bronze work depicting peacock feathers, which is consistent all the way around the bottom, and they're inset with Tiffany glass. You have two types of Tiffany glass in here. You have the leaded glass that you'd see in a window or in a lamp, but also you have this beautiful reflective glass that was used in mosaics. The peacock feather design is continued along the edge of the mirror, and then actually, if you turn it over, the whole back side has been chased. It's a beautiful object. And the peacock design is the consummate Art Nouveau motif. So it was very popular at this time. The peacock motif was used in stained-glass lamps, windows, and also in Tiffany blown glass. This is really very special. It is actually signed. It's on the back here. There's a little "Tiffany Studios, New York" stamped on the side. And it's finished in this great green-brown finish. You have the original beveled mirror inset in here, and it has lost some of the silvering behind it, but I would never recommend changing it. How long ago did you purchase this?
GUEST:
I bought it two weeks ago.
APAPRAISER: Two weeks ago? That's amazing. Do you go to yard sales all the time?
GUEST:
All the time.
APPRAISER:
Well, something like this could sell in a shop for $25,000.
GUEST:
Oh, my God! I had no idea it would.
APPRAISER:
It's a really wonderful example. Thank you for bringing it in.
GUEST:
Okay, thank you very much. I... I had no idea when I bought it. I just loved it.
Appraisal Details
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