Mustard Pot

Tiffany & Co.

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 199


The mottled fields of different colors animating the surface of this mustard pot showcase Tiffany’s daring experiments in replicating Japanese mixed-metal techniques, particularly shakudo, a copper-gold alloy. Moore and his team combined inlaid copper and gold with two inventive alloys, one a blue-black colored copper-gold alloy and the other a black patinated alloy of copper, platinum, and iron. Over time, wear has muted the tonal differences; however, analysis of the metals reveals they are distinct materials
that originally would have had more marked color contrasts. The overall effect resembles the swirling colors of Moore’s Greek and Roman glass, as exemplified in the mosaic jar on view behind you.

Mustard Pot, Tiffany & Co. (1837–present), Silver, copper, gold, patinated copper-gold alloy, patinated copper-platinum-iron alloy, and niello, American

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Mustard Pot, Tiffany & Co. (1837–present), Silver, copper, gold, patinated copper-gold alloy, patinated copper-platinum-iron alloy, and niello, American
Mustard Pot, Tiffany & Co. (1837–present), Silver, copper, gold, patinated copper-gold alloy, patinated copper-platinum-iron alloy, and niello, American
Mustard Pot, Tiffany & Co. (1837–present), Silver, copper, gold, patinated copper-gold alloy, patinated copper-platinum-iron alloy, and niello, American
Mustard Pot, Tiffany & Co. (1837–present), Silver, copper, gold, patinated copper-gold alloy, patinated copper-platinum-iron alloy, and niello, American
Mustard Pot, Tiffany & Co. (1837–present), Silver, copper, gold, patinated copper-gold alloy, patinated copper-platinum-iron alloy, and niello, American
Mustard Pot, Tiffany & Co. (1837–present), Silver, copper, gold, patinated copper-gold alloy, patinated copper-platinum-iron alloy, and niello, American
Mustard Pot, Tiffany & Co. (1837–present), Silver, copper, gold, patinated copper-gold alloy, patinated copper-platinum-iron alloy, and niello, American

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