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Jardinière

Tiffany & Co.

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 199


Tiffany advertised objects like this one as appropriate "presents for housekeepers" in 1880, pricing the decorative holders for plants or flowers between $14 and $2500. This example cost $365 to produce, likely because of its elaborate decoration. Copper turtles reminiscent of a Japanese bronze from Moore’s collection on view nearby crawl toward a rim inlaid with a pattern Tiffany manufacturing records describe as "Japanese Chain." Engraved lily pads and chased flowers inlaid with copper and yellow and green gold complete the pond scene. The design is Japanesque not only in subject matter and style but also in attitude: the naturalistic tonal effects and suggestions of wind and motion emphasize the transience of the fleeting moment it depicts.

Jardinière, Tiffany & Co. (1837–present), Silver, copper, gold, American

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