Antique Tiffany Japonesque Applied Sterling Silver Dragonfly Mug
View Similar Items
Antique Tiffany Japonesque Applied Sterling Silver Dragonfly Mug
About the Item
- Creator:Tiffany & Co. (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 3.88 in (9.86 cm)Width: 4.5 in (11.43 cm)Depth: 3 in (7.62 cm)
- Style:Japonisme (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:Sterling Silver,Hammered
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1879
- Condition:
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:Seller: BS8001stDibs: LU898016300931
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.
- Antique Tiffany Japonesque Applied Hand-Hammered Sterling Silver Sake PotBy Tiffany & Co.Located in New York, NYJaponesque sterling silver sake pot. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York, circa 1880. Globular with short and tapering diagonal spout and stationary bracket han...Category
Antique Late 19th Century American Japonisme Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Large Tiffany Japonesque Applied Sterling Silver Inkwell with BeetleBy Tiffany & Co.Located in New York, NYJaponesque sterling silver inkwell. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York, ca 1882. Drum form with curved shoulder, short neck, and hinged and cork-lined bayonet cover. Leaves and tendri...Category
Antique Late 19th Century American Japonisme Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Pair of Tiffany Japonesque Open Salts with Early Union Square MarkBy John C. Moore, Tiffany & Co.Located in New York, NYPair of Japonesque sterling silver open salts. Made by John C. Moore for Tiffany & Co. in New York. Round with open rectangular bracket handles and straight foot. Engraved overlappin...Category
Antique 1870s American Japonisme Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Antique English Victorian Sterling Silver Christening MugLocated in New York, NYVictorian sterling silver baby cup. Made by George John Richards in London in 1853. Baluster bowl with leaf-capped double-scroll handle and scrolled skirted foot. Embossed vegetation...Category
Antique 1850s English Victorian Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Set of 3 Tiffany Chrysanthemum Sterling Silver Butter PatsBy Tiffany & Co.Located in New York, NYSet of 3 Chrysanthemum sterling silver butter pats. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York. Plain and round gilt well. Shoulder has rinceaux-sty...Category
Late 20th Century American Japonisme Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Antique Tiffany Sterling Silver Bird Bath Classical CompoteBy Tiffany & Co.Located in New York, NYClassical sterling silver bird bath compote. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York. Shallow bowl with turned-down rim and raised foot. Two cast bird figures with voluminous plumage and f...Category
Antique Late 19th Century American American Classical Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- R E Stone Antique Sterling Silver Christening MugBy R E StoneLocated in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon TyneAn exceptional, fine and impressive antique George VI English sterling silver christening mug made by R. E. Stone; an addition to our 20th century silverware collection. This exceptional antique George VI sterling silver mug has a plain oval tapering, flared form onto an oval spreading foot. The surface of this sterling silver christening mug is plain and has a subtle planished finish. This fine example of antique silverware is fitted with a cast sterling silver handle, accented with an incurved handpiece, in addition to ribbed designs. This impressive 1930s silver mug was crafted by the renowned and highly collectable silversmith Robert Edgar Stone; the underside of the mug bears R. E. Stone's signature in addition to the full hallmarks. Such signed examples are highly desirable. Condition This antique silver christening mug...Category
Vintage 1930s English Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Antique American Sterling Silver Christening MugBy John CurryLocated in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon TyneA fine and interesting antique American sterling silver christening mug; an addition to our christening silverware collection. This fine anti...Category
Antique 1830s American Sterling Silver
MaterialsSilver, Sterling Silver
- Antique George I Sterling Silver 1/2 Pint Mug 1722By John EastLocated in London, GBA classic antique George I sterling silver 1/2 Pint Mug with a round spread pedestal foot. The Beer Mug has an engraved crest on the side opposite the scroll handle. Made in Londo...Category
Antique Early 18th Century European George I Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Antique Victorian 1886 Sterling Silver Christening MugLocated in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon TyneAn exceptional, fine and impressive large antique Victorian English sterling silver christening mug; part of our silver christening collection This antique Victorian silver christening mug has a circular, subtly tapering rounded form onto a circular spreading foot. The body of the mug is embellished with exceptional embossed and chased decorated angel/putto* head designs, accented with wing motifs to the nadir. The body of this large mug is further ornamented with large ribbon bow motifs and floral festoons, encompassing the aforementioned portrait designs, all within an arabesque band and matte background. The decoration to the body incorporates a vacant shaped cartouche to the anterior. The lower portion of this Victorian silver christening mug is encompassed with a plain applied girdle, above further chased floral designs within a shaped-scalloped border. This mug is fitted with a cast silver angular handle with leaf decorated bifurcating terminals, in addition to impressive ribbon and leaf ornamentation to the upper portion of the handpiece. This exceptional example of Victorian silverware retains the original gilding. This impressive antique silver mug is the finest of its type you could hope to acquire. * In art and culture, a putto (plural: putti) is a chubby male child, usually nude and occasionally bearing wings. Condition This antique christening mug...Category
Antique 1880s English Victorian Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Rare Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Sugar BowlBy Tiffany & Co.Located in West Palm Beach, FLA rare Tiffany & Co. Sterling silver sugar bowl. American, 1870-1875. Made for an International Exposition. Of basket shape with swing ...Category
Antique 19th Century Sterling Silver
MaterialsSilver
$1,920 Sale Price20% Off - Tiffany and Co Sterling Silver Demitasse SetBy Tiffany & Co., Lenox's Ceramic Art CompanyLocated in Lambertville, NJElegant service for eight sterling silver demitasses cups and saucers by Tiffany and Co. The sterling cup holders with saucers each with a porcelain inse...Category
Vintage 1940s American Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
$2,495 / set
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.