Favrile glass is the iridescent art glass developed and patented by Louis Comfort Tiffany in New York in the 1890s. The name, derived from an old word meaning handmade, was used by Tiffany for glass in which colour was incorporated into the molten material and an iridescent surface produced by exposing the hot glass to metallic oxides.
Tiffany's furnaces at Corona, Queens, produced Favrile glass vases, bowls and decorative objects in organic forms inspired by plants, flowers and ancient excavated glass. The same glass was used for his celebrated leaded lamp shades, windows and mosaics. Typical colours include gold, blue and green with a lustrous shimmer, and many pieces show trailed, feathered or millefiori decoration. Vases are usually engraved on the base with a signature such as L.C. Tiffany Favrile and a registration number. The success of Favrile glass inspired competitors including Steuben, Quezal and Durand in America and Loetz in Bohemia. Because Tiffany glass is valuable, forged signatures are common, so buyers should judge the quality of the glass itself, the evenness of the iridescence and the character of the base before relying on any mark.
