Tiffany & Co. Japanese Silver Vase, Model 1473m, New York Circa 1880-1891

Tiffany & Co. Japanese-Inspired Sterling Silver Vase, Model 1473M, New York, c. 1880–1891

A rare Japanese-inspired sterling silver vase produced by Tiffany & Co. during the height of the American Aesthetic Movement. Its elegant bottle-shaped form recalls traditional Japanese sake vessels, while the finely executed decoration reflects the profound influence of Japanese art on late nineteenth-century American silver design.

Design: Tiffany & Co., New York, Edward C. Moore period, c. 1880–1891
Model: No. 1473M
Maker: Tiffany & Co., New York
Material: Sterling silver (.925)
Decoration: Fish, aquatic vegetation and applied insect motif
Technique: Hand-chased, engraved and repoussé work
Height: 16 cm (6.3 in.)
Weight: 184 grams
Marks: TIFFANY & CO., STERLING SILVER, 1473M, 9664
Condition: Very good original condition

The decoration depicts an underwater scene populated by small fish moving among aquatic plants, dominated by a larger fish poised as a predator within the reeds. An applied insect on the shoulder of the vase adds a further naturalistic detail, typical of Japanese-inspired design.

This aesthetic belongs to the celebrated period shaped by Edward C. Moore (1827–1891), the artistic force behind Tiffany's most innovative silver production. Under his direction, Tiffany & Co. became the leading American silversmith of the Aesthetic Movement, incorporating influences from Japanese and other Asian decorative traditions.

Comparable Japanese-inspired Tiffany silver objects are held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Art Institute of Chicago; the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, New York; and the Szépművészeti Múzeum, Budapest.

Literature:

• Charles H. Carpenter Jr., Tiffany Silver, New York, 1978
• Dorothy T. Rainwater, Encyclopedia of American Silver Manufacturers, 1986
• William P. Hood Jr., Roslyn Berlin, Edward Wawrynek, Tiffany Silver Flatware 1845–1905. When Dining Was an Art, 1999
• John Loring, Magnificent Tiffany Silver, 2001
• Elizabeth McGoey (ed.), American Silver in the Art Institute of Chicago, 2017
• Gorham Silver. Designing Brilliance 1850–1970, 2019
• Medill Higgins Harvey, Collecting Inspiration: Edward C. Moore at Tiffany & Co., 2021

By appointment, this vase may be viewed in our Düsseldorf gallery.

Our collection includes a substantial selection of Aesthetic Movement objects, Tiffany silver, American art silver, Art Nouveau, Vienna Secession and Jugendstil works, as well as important examples of European decorative arts dating from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

We are always pleased to discuss related objects with collectors, museums and institutions.