A mixed media vase made of gold, silver and copper creating mokume or a marbling effect that looks like wood. A small rim opening has a repeating etched design to a large top body that tapers to a double ridged base.

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See more objects with the tag decorative, metalwork, japonisme, craftsmanship.

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Object Timeline

-0001	We photographed this object.
1976	We acquired this object.
2016	We exhibited this object.
2017	We exhibited this object.
2024	You found it!

Vase (USA), 1889

This is a vase. It was produced by Tiffany and Co.. It is dated 1889 and we acquired it in 1976. Its medium is silver, gold, copper, and mixed metals. It is a part of the Product Design and Decorative Arts department.

Exhibited by Tiffany & Co. at the Paris International Exposition of 1889, this vase represents a rare example of the mokumé technique of mixing metals to look like marbling or wood graining. Developed centuries before in Japan, this difficult technique was mastered by metalsmiths at Tiffany & Co. for use in decorative tablewares.

This object was donated by Mrs. M. Allison Coudert. It is credited Gift of the daughters of Louis deBébian Moore.

Watercolor and pencil drawing of a floral pattern. The pattern consists of nine large, white, realistic, radially symmetrical flowers, on a blue background with golden brown stems and leaves and four identical, evenly spaced, stylized, round, brown medallions containing smaller white flowers that look like simplified cherry blossom. While the large flowers and leaves look realistic, the veins on some of the leaves are stylized with geometric patterns formed by a continuous line that remind of a Greek key pattern. The large flowers have five large white petals each, with brown nectar guides and a complex, circular structure in the center so that stigma and stamens are not clearly visible. The drawing is on a square with wider lateral margins. In the center of the drawing, there is a subtly penciled 50x50 grid of identical squares, numbered 1 to 50 along each of the four sides and in the middle of the grid. The pattern is such that it can be repeated, like in a block print, because the lines at opposite margins match and complete each other.

Drawing, Textile Design: Japonisme
brush and watercolor, gouache, graphite on paper.
Museum Purchase.
1982-50-1

A decorative, rosewood, upholstered chair. The chair has two thin tapered legs decorated with scrolls at the front and two rectangular straight legs at the back. It has a carved seat back with a floral panel created from inlaid paler wood at the top, geometric cut out sections in the middle, and golden column-like sections in the rectangular seat supports. The seat itself is upholstered with golden silk that is decorated with a repeating floral motif in white, deep purple, brown, peach and pale blue. It is supported underneath with eight wooden strips four of which, one the left and right side, have a small panel with three holes between them.

Mark Hopkins House Side Chair
rosewood, inlaid and veneered with various woods, silk (of the period but not....
2010-5-1

Rectangular hammered sterling match box/match safe and with slightly rounded corners. Three separate slim swirls - one in brass, two in copper - decorate the long front side. Angled opening with beetle-like bug on the top right of the lid. Short slanted and chased lines at bottom edge. Scratch plate on bottom.

Matchsafe (USA)
hammered silver, copper, brass.
Gift of Stephen W. Brener and Carol B. Brener.
1980-14-1296

Our curators have highlighted 2 objects that are related to this one.

Brooch
gold, silver, copper, nickel silver (argentan).
The Susan Grant Lewin Collection, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.
2016-34-82

An oval vase with rounded shoulders and an outward unfurling rim; decorated with an abstract floral pattern in dark red-black on gold background.

Vase (USA)
favrile glass.
Gift of Thomas Carnase.
1984-108-1

Its dimensions are

H x diam.: 50.2 x 23.5 cm (19 3/4 x 9 1/4 in.)

Cite this object as

Vase (USA), 1889; Produced by Tiffany and Co. (United States); silver, gold, copper, and mixed metals; H x diam.: 50.2 x 23.5 cm (19 3/4 x 9 1/4 in.); Gift of the daughters of Louis deBébian Moore; 1976-58-1-a/f

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibitions Passion for the Exotic: Japonism and Passion for the Exotic: Louis Comfort Tiffany and Lockwood de Forest.

Short URL http://cprhw.tt/o/2CLNv/
Accession Number 1976-58-1-a/f
Object ID 18491241