Brownfield's for Tiffany & Company Porcelain Oyster Plate
About the Item
- Creator:William Brownfield (Maker),Tiffany & Co. (Retailer)
- Dimensions:Height: 0.6 in (1.5 cm)Diameter: 9.45 in (24 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Circa 1883
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses.
- Seller Location:Brisbane, AU
- Reference Number:
Tiffany & Co.
Tiffany & Co. is one of the most prominent purveyors of luxury goods in the United States, and has long been an important arbiter of style in the design of diamond engagement rings. A young Franklin Delano Roosevelt proposed to his future wife, Eleanor, with a Tiffany ring in 1904. Vanderbilts, Whitneys, Astors and members of the Russian imperial family all wore Tiffany & Co. jewels. And Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis preferred Tiffany china for state dinners at the White House.
Although synonymous with luxury today, the firm started out rather modestly. Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young founded it in Connecticut as a “stationery and fancy goods emporium” in 1837, at a time when European imports still dominated the nascent American luxury market. In 1853, Charles Tiffany — who in 1845 had launched the company’s famed catalog, the Blue Book, and with it, the firm’s signature robin’s-egg blue, which he chose for the cover — shifted the focus to fine jewelry. In 1868, Tiffany & Co. gained international recognition when it became the first U.S. firm to win an award for excellence in silverware at the Exposition Universelle in Paris. From then on, it belonged to the pantheon of American luxury brands.
At the start of the Gilded Age, in 1870, Tiffany & Co. opened its flagship store, described as a "palace of jewels" by the New York Times, at 15 Union Square West in Manhattan. Throughout this period, its designs for silver tableware, ceremonial silver, flatware and jewelry were highly sought-after indicators of status and taste. They also won the firm numerous accolades, including the grand prize for silverware at the Paris Exposition of 1878. Among the firm’s glittering creations from this time are masterworks of Art Nouveau jewelry, such as this delicate aquamarine necklace and this lavish plique-à-jour peridot and gold necklace, both circa 1900.
When Charles Lewis Tiffany died, in 1902, his son Louis Comfort Tiffany became the firm’s design director. Under his leadership, the Tiffany silver studio was a de facto design school for apprentice silversmiths, who worked alongside head artisan Edward C. Moore. The firm produced distinctive objects inspired by Japanese art and design, North American plants and flowers, and Native American patterns and crafts, adding aesthetic diversity to Tiffany & Co.’s distinguished repertoire.
Tiffany is also closely associated with diamonds, even lending its name to one particularly rare and exceptional yellow stone. The firm bought the Tiffany diamond in its raw state from the Kimberley mines of South Africa in 1878. Cut to create a 128.54-carat gem with an unprecedented 82 facets, it is one of the most spectacular examples of a yellow diamond in the world. In a broader sense, Tiffany & Co. helped put diamonds on the map in 1886 by introducing the American marketplace to the solitaire diamond design, which is still among the most popular engagement-ring styles. The trademark Tiffany® Setting raises the stone above the band on six prongs, allowing its facets to catch the light. A lovely recent example is this circa-2000 platinum engagement ring. Displaying a different design and aesthetic (but equally chic) is this exquisite diamond and ruby ring from the 1930s.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Brisbane, Australia
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Presidential Oyster Plate Designed by Theodore R. Davis for Haviland & Co.By Haviland & Co.Located in Brisbane, QLDThis unusual porcelain oyster plate dates to the 1880s and was crafted in Limoges from a design by Theodore R Davis for President and Mrs. Rutherford B Hayes. In 1879 there was a com...Category
Antique 1880s French Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
- Aesthetic Period Porcelain Wall Bracket by Royal WorcesterBy Royal WorcesterLocated in Brisbane, QLDA marvellous 1870s period porcelain wall bracket by English maker Royal Worcester. The porcelain bracket has a rich turquoise ground which has been softened with a matte 'rust' glaze...Category
Antique Mid-19th Century English Aesthetic Movement Wall Brackets
MaterialsPorcelain
- Pair of Japanese Meiji Period Porcelain 'Kutani' Foo DogsLocated in Brisbane, QLDA pair of fine quality Japanese Kutani foo dogs in rich polychrome enamels over porcelain. The pair date to the Meiji period (1868-1912) and are in lov...Category
Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Ceramics
MaterialsPorcelain
- Porcelain 'Raphael' Miniature 'Grand Tour' Plaque in Carved Gilt FrameLocated in Brisbane, QLDAn exceptional Grand Tour souvenir in the form of a painted miniature copy of Raphael's famed self portrait, rendered on porcelain and framed in an elaborately carved and gilded timb...Category
Antique 19th Century Italian Grand Tour Decorative Art
MaterialsPorcelain, Giltwood
- Rare 'Hope Service' Plate 18th Century Flight WorcesterBy Flight WorcesterLocated in Brisbane, QLDThe Hope Service was designed and created by the Royal Flight Worcester Company, commissioned by the Duke of Clarence and St Andrews (later King William I...Category
Antique 1780s English Neoclassical Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
- Chinese Tongzhi Porcelain Vase Decorated in Polychrome Enamels with Bronze MountLocated in Brisbane, QLDThis exquisite polychrome Chinese vase has been mounted with bronze mounts and has previously been in two private collections. The vase dates to the reign of Chinese Emperor Tongzhi ...Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Ceramics
MaterialsBronze
- William Brownfield Aesthetic Movement Plate by Christopher DresserBy William BrownfieldLocated in Bishop's Stortford, HertfordshireA stunning Aesthetic Movement William Brownfield plate with a stylised panel and floral design by Christopher Dresser (British, 1834-1904) dating from around 1876. Christopher Dr...Category
Antique 1870s English Aesthetic Movement Ceramics
MaterialsCeramic
- Rare 19th Century English Majolica Duck Tureen William BrownfieldBy William BrownfieldLocated in Austin, TXRare 19th century English Majolica duck on nest tureen attributed to William Brownfield. The duck is brown, green and grey, the interior of the tureen is aqua turquoise like several...Category
Antique 1870s British Victorian Serving Pieces
MaterialsCeramic, Faience, Majolica, Pottery
- Brownfield Majolica Chestnut Cheese Dome & StandBy Brownfield and SonsLocated in Chelmsford, EssexBrownfield Majolica cheese keep which features a chestnut, flower and leaves. Colouration: brown, green, pink, are predominant. The piece bears mak...Category
Antique 1880s English Victorian Serving Pieces
MaterialsMajolica
- Brownfield Majolica Castle 'Tower' Cheese DomeLocated in Chelmsford, EssexBrownfield Majolica cheese keep which features a castle tower with ivy trailing up the sides. Colouration: brown, cobalt blue, green, are predomina...Category
Antique 1870s English Victorian Serving Pieces
- Two French Majoiica Oyster Plates & Water Lily Majolica PlateLocated in Bridgeport, CTTwo French Majolica Oyster Plates with six white shells on a green basketweave background, beaded rope trim. Dimensions: 9 1/2" Diameter by .75” high. Condition; good Also included ...Category
Early 20th Century French Hollywood Regency Serving Pieces
MaterialsPottery
- Wedgwood Majolica Dolphin/Fishes Oyster PlateBy WedgwoodLocated in Chelmsford, EssexWedgwood Majolica oyster plate which features five fish around a central well. White ground version. Coloration: white, grey, yellow, are predominant. The piece bears maker's marks f...Category
Antique 19th Century British Victorian Serving Pieces
MaterialsEarthenware
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The Sparkling Legacy of Tiffany & Co. Explained, One Jewel at a Time
A gorgeous new book celebrates — and memorializes — the iconic jeweler’s rich heritage.
15 Scintillating Jewelry Watches to Elevate Your Holiday Style
Watchmakers have tucked their movements into all manner of precious baubles, from lapel pins to cocktail rings. The result is dazzling, wearable art that will get you to the party on time.