Spotlight

Photo Credit: Relic-Island

Art Nouveau Gilt Bronze Tiffany Desk Blotter Ends

Buy It Now Price: $369.99 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)

Pros:

-These attractive Art Nouveau gilt bronze Tiffany desk blotter ends were made by the famous American luxury house of Tiffany Studios in the early decades of the 20th century, between about 1900 and 1918.

-These Tiffany desk blotter ends measure 12.25 inches (31.1 cm) long by 2.25 inches (5.7 cm) wide.  Each one is stamped “TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK 1153” on the side.  1153 is an inventory number that denotes both the type of item (a desk blotter end) and the design (Abalone in this case).

-A desk blotter is a flat pad or sheet that is placed on the surface of a desk to protect it from damage due to ink spills or pen indentations.  They were traditionally made from leather, although synthetic plastic desk blotters are fairly commonplace today.  Desk blotter ends were placed on either edge of a desk blotter in order to help hold it in place.

-There are over 20 known patterns for Tiffany Studios desk sets.  The beautifully interwoven vine and leaf design shown above is known as “Abalone” due to the use of iridescent mother of pearl elements.  Abalone is one of the more commonly encountered Tiffany desk set designs.

-Art Nouveau was a naturalistic art style that was extremely popular between 1890 and 1910, although it persisted slightly longer in the U.S.  It typically featured women, flowers, insects or other nature themes, often in flowing, languid poses.

-The typical Tiffany Studios desk set had 6 pieces, including a letter rack, ink stand and desk blotter ends.  Other possible elements were a letter opener, box, calendar holder, ink blotter or pen tray, among others.

–The zeitgeist of these Tiffany desk blotter ends is off the charts!  They personify the flowing, naturalistic sensibilities of Art Nouveau style that was so popular before World War I.

-These Tiffany desk blotter ends are in remarkably good condition for being at least a century old.  The gilding is largely intact and the mother of pearl inlay has few cracked or chipped pieces.  This is unusual because mother of pearl tends to dry out over many decades, leaving it susceptible to damage.

-Tiffany Studios was a celebrated luxury house that always produced goods to the very highest quality standards.  From its origins in the 1870s until its demise during the Great Depression, the firm had often been in the vanguard of American style.  Because of this, luxury goods created by Tiffany Studios are always in high demand, with a price to match.  Therefore, I find the $370 asking price for these Tiffany desk blotter ends to be fair.

Cons:

-While I believe the $370 asking price is fair, I’ve seen this seller put these same Tiffany desk blotter ends on sale for $300 before.  At $300, I think this matching set would be a steal.  If you like them, you could always make an offer to the seller at the lower price.  I think he would probably accept it.

-Some people might consider a set of desk blotter ends to be an anachronism today.  However, I think they would be a welcome addition to the desk of any vintage fountain pen aficionado or office traditionalist.  In addition, these Tiffany desk blotter ends would make a stunning decorative item for a fireplace mantel or shelf in any well-appointed home.

-Unfortunately, fraud is rampant in the field of Tiffany Studios antiques, especially Tiffany lamps.  While this piece looks genuine to me, I am no Tiffany Studios expert.  The only element I found at all questionable is the micro-pitting evident on high magnification, which I attribute to corrosion due to storage conditions.  If you are unsure about the authenticity of this piece, I would recommend that you solicit a second opinion from a knowledgeable source.

-Tiffany Studios was a different company from the well-known luxury jeweler Tiffany & Co.  Don’t confuse the two!

Photo Credit: JadeSiberian

Siberian Nephrite Jade Whiskey Stones

Asking Price: $99 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This is a stunningly gorgeous set of 6 Siberian nephrite jade Whiskey stones that comes in a beautifully crafted hardwood box.  Whiskey stones are a recent invention meant to cool your whiskey or other hard liquor without diluting it like ice does.  Just pop them in the freezer for a few hours and they are ready to go!

-This jade whiskey stone set is made from high quality, Siberian nephrite jade.  Jade was first discovered in the Sayan Mountains of Siberian Russia, near Lake Baikal, in 1826.  In the late 19th and early 20th century, the world renowned Fabergé workshop in St. Petersburg extensively used Siberian jade in many of its sumptuous creations.  Shortly after the year 2000, Siberian nephrite jade started to be exported to China in order to meet the fast growing demand for high quality jade among newly wealthy Chinese consumers.

-Nephrite jade’s extremely high thermal conductivity makes it perfect for use as a whiskey stone material; it will chill your drink very quickly compared to less thermally conductive materials.

-Unlike nephrite jades mined from some other locations, Siberian jade is known for its bright colors and excellent translucency.  These are both very desirable characteristics that make Siberian jade perfect for high-class carvings, objets d’art and jewelry.

-I like that this whiskey stone set is crafted in what is undoubtedly a small jade workshop in Siberian Russia using local materials.

–High quality jade is a great investment right now.  I especially like rough North American jade because of its good availability and lack of treatments.  Siberian jade is also excellent, but most production from Russian mines goes straight to China these days, making it difficult to source in North America or Europe.

-These Siberian jade whiskey stones absolutely encapsulate the extravagant zeitgeist of the modern age – an important element when investing in art.  These luxury items are Gatsbyesque excess incarnated, conjuring up images of a tuxedo-wearing man at a gala event swirling his glass of liquor and jade whiskey stones while explaining how he became a Bitcoin billionaire.

-This set of Siberian jade whiskey stones comes in its own custom-made, fitted hardwood box.  The box is available in your choice of solid ash or birch, two hardwoods endemic to southern Siberia.

-I believe these Siberian jade whiskey stones are a great example of a future antique.  In 50 or 100 years, this set, along with its original hardwood box, will be most likely be a very desirable antique.  Given this probable outcome, I think the $99 asking price is perfectly justified.

Cons:

-This item is not antique, but is instead a new luxury good that is made from scratch when you order.  Under normal circumstances, buying new luxury goods for investment purposes is a stupid idea because the price is usually exorbitantly high.  In this case, the price is quite reasonable, making these jade whiskey stones a reasonable investment.

-The shipping cost to the U.S. for this set of Siberian jade whiskey stones is $25.  This is a bit steep considering the item itself is only $99.  But because it is coming all the way from Asiatic Russia, I think the high shipping charges are forgivable.

-Because these sets are custom made to order, there is no guarantee that you will receive jade of the same excellent quality of that shown in the photos.  So, buying this set is a bit of a gamble.  But for just a little over $100, it is quite possibly worth it, especially considering that more pedestrian whiskey stones might cost you anywhere from $20 to $60.