A Tiffany & Co. Silver and Mixed Metal Water Pitcher, New York , circa 1880. Marks: TIFFANY & CO., 4706 MAKERS 1932, STERL...

Description

A Tiffany & Co. Silver and Mixed Metal Water Pitcher, New York , circa 1880
Marks: TIFFANY & CO., 4706 MAKERS 1932, STERLING SILVER, AND, OTHER METALS, 734
8 x 8 x 6-1/2 inches (20.3 x 20.3 x 16.5 cm)
992 grams (gross)

The water pitcher of baluster form with hand-hammered surface, the Japanesque pond scene depicting an applied kingfisher perched on a gold bamboo reed, a copper and gold dragonfly, a copper and gold beetle, a jumping silver carp, and silver and copper irises.

The Japanese-inspired works of the late 1870s and 1880s are often thought of the peak of Tiffany director Edward C. Moore's career. Bold and elegant, they captured critical and popular acclaim for their use of mixed metals and sensuous depictions of nature. Moore drew much of his inspiration for the decoration from his own extensive personal collection of Japanese art, now held at by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A similar example of this water pitcher form, designed by Moore himself, was part of Tiffany's landmark 1878 Paris Exposition display, where Japanesque Tiffany works debuted on the world stage. Tiffany plant records reveal that only several dozen of these pitchers were created, each with its own unique applied decoration. The current water pitcher is an excellent blend of the style's signature characteristics- the spot-hammered matte surface, the large scale decoration - and a few unexpected twists. The kingfisher is an especially standout element, perhaps inspired by a Japanese print in Moore's own collection.





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