

Tray, ca. 1879–80
Tiffany & Company (American, 1837–present)
Silver, copper, gold, alloys
Tiffany & Company (American, 1837–present)
Silver, copper, gold, alloys
Overall 7/8 x 9 1/8 in., 544.3 grams (2.2 x 23.2 cm, 17.5 troy ounces)
Rogers Fund, 1966 (66.52.2)
Silver decorated with colored metals and alloys, including some based directly on Japanese formulas, began to appear among Tiffany & Company's Japanesque designs in 1877. Motifs in these colored metals, such as the applied frog and the inlaid moon on this tray, were often set off by a hammered and oxidized ground. Steel punches were used to create the effect of a hand-hammered surface. The Museum also owns a similar silver tray (66.52.1), ornamented with irises in the Japanese taste.







