Important Americana
Important Americana
Property from the Richard & Jane Manoogian Foundation
A Rare American Silver and Mixed Metal “American Indian Style” Three-Handled Loving Cup, probably designed by Edward C. Moore and Paulding Farnham for Tiffany & Co., New York, Circa 1889
Auction Closed
January 25, 06:34 PM GMT
Estimate
30,000 - 50,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
the cup mounted on three cast and oxidized feet in the form of buffalo heads and hoofs, the bulbous body inlaid with niello and copper in “Indian” motifs, the handles realistically modelled in the shape of buffalo horns and inlaid with niello and copper, the gilt interior centered by an engraved sunburst, the sides with an American Indian–style geometric border, marked on one foot and numbered 8648-1197, also with French import marks
96 oz gross
2985.9 g
width 12 3/4 in., height 10 3/8 in.
32.4 cm, 26.4 cm
Please note that we have a new registration process and we highly recommend registering early to the sale. If you encounter any difficulty, please contact the Bids Department at bids.newyork@sothebys.com or call +1 (212) 606-7414 for assistance.
Christie’s, New York, January 20, 1989, lot 260
Sotheby’s, New York, January 20, 1998, lot 29
Property from the Richard & Jane Manoogian Foundation
John Loring, Magnificent Tiffany Silver, New York, Harry N. Abrams, 2001, p. 209, illus.
Leading up to the American Centennial in 1876, a distinct American style was being sought and a number of manufacturers took inspiration from American Indian imagery. At the 1878 Paris Exposition, Tiffany & Co. exhibited a pair of candelabra featuring American Indian implements and adornments, as well as two fully-modeled warriors at the bases. One newspaper enthusiastically reported on their style being "as pure a nationality as the everlasting Pyramids, and when developed in coming years it will insure a style of decoration as distinctive and as rich in artistic effectiveness as that of Egypt, Greece, or Japan".
John Loring attributed the design of this piece to Edward C. Moore and Paulding Farnham together, and notes that the bison heads and hooves were modeled by Eugene J. Soligny for the American-Indian themed Bennett Candelabra (illustrated Loring 2001, p. 113). A cup of this model with buffalo horn handles and buffalo-form feet is embossed with scenes of three George Catlin drawings: "Sundance Shield", "Bear Dance", and "Scalp Dance" (Charles Carpenter, Tiffany Silver, 1997, p. 182, fig. 281); it is closer to European silver of the period, whereas here the decoration has been simplified to large-scale abstract Native American designs.
Farnham would go on to be inspired by American Indians in pieces for the 1893 Chicago, 1900 Paris, and 1901 Buffalo world's fairs, using like here metal inlays and niello to interpret Native American motifs. However, Tiffany's American Indian designs had a relatively limited production, and this is a rare example of this style created right as the American Frontier was closing (1890).