Center Piece / Tiffany & Company
About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1977/1.155
- Title
- Center Piece
- Artist
- Tiffany & Company
- Artist Nationality
- American
- Artist Life Dates
- established 1837
- Medium and Support
- silver
- Object Creation Date
- circa 1910
- Object Creation Place
- North and Central America (continent)
- United States (nation)
- New York (state)
- Creation Place 1
- North and Central America (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- United States (nation)
- Creation Place 3
- New York (state)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Mrs. John Alexander
- Inscription
- Stamped in base: Tiffany & Co.
- Dimensions
- 10.3 cm x 42 cm (4 1/16 in. x 16 9/16 in.)
- Century
- 20th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Decorative Arts
- Primary Object Type
- silver
- Physical Description
- Silver dish-shaped piece with very large flared lip covered with opulent repoussé decoration
- 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.
- Secondary Keywords
- descriptors
- modern and contemporary art
- object genres
- object genres by material
- objects we use
- vessels
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- Image Size
- 1193 x 973
- File Size
- 105 KB
- Record
- 1977/1.155
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1977-sl-1.155/1977_1.155.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Cite this Item
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- Full citation
-
"Center Piece; Tiffany & Company." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1977-sl-1.155/1977_1.155.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 19, 2024.