Spoon / Tiffany & Company

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Record Details

Accession Number
1967/2.17
Title
Spoon
Artist Nationality
American
Artist Life Dates
established 1837
Medium and Support
18K gold
Object Creation Date
1900-1967
Object Creation Place
North and Central America (continent)
United States (nation)
New York (state)
Creation Place 2
United States (nation)
Creation Place 3
New York (state)
Inscription
Monogram: SST? On back, lower part of handle: TIFFANY & CO. MAKER C 18 KT. PAT... 190...
Dimensions
14.76 cm x 3.2 cm (5 13/16 in. x 1 1/4 in.)
Century
20th century
Primary Object Classification
Decorative Arts
Primary Object Type
spoon
Physical Description
Gold spoon with thin handle that widens at the end with egg-and-dart-like motif along edges
Subject Matter
Many silver luxury items in Colonial America were imported from Europe, but by the late 17th century American silversmiths began producing spoons, tankards, and tea services for domestic use and display, many of which emulated the aesthetics of British and Northern European design and ornament. The Tariff of 1842 imposed heavy taxes on imported goods to America, such as silver, which, along with a flourishing economy following the Civil War and an increase in the demand for elegant dining silverware, led to an increase in production. As the industry grew from local workshops to large factories, American silver manufacturers, such as Kirk & Sons and Tiffany & Company were established.
During this time the role of the designer became more important in silversmithing. The prestigious New York jewelry firm Tiffany & Co. originally founded in 1837 by Charles Louis Tiffany (whose son, Louis Comfort Tiffany, became renowned for his glasswork and jewelry) employed a succession of highly influential and skilled designers, and soon became well known for creating beautiful pieces, whose elegant and timeless designs continue to remain popular even today.
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Technical Details

Image Size
903 x 553
File Size
26 KB
Record
1967/2.17
Link to this Item
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1967-sl-2.17/1967_2.17.jpg

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Full citation
"Spoon; Tiffany & Company." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1967-sl-2.17/1967_2.17.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 29, 2024.
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