Name/Title
Tiffany & Co. Silver Water PitcherEntry/Object ID
2022.2.85.61Description
This is a sterling silver Tiffany & Co. water pitcher with a bulbous form, cylindrical neck, and a D-shape handle with applied bands of scroll decoration at the neck and belly. There is an illegible monogram on the pitcher.Context
Tiffany and Co. began as Tiffany and Young in 1837 when Charles Tiffany and John Young opened Tiffany and Young. The original store was located on Broadway in New York City and sold stationery and costume jewelry, what they called "fancy goods."
In 1841 J. L. Ellis became a third partner of the Company and the name became Tiffany, Young, and Ellis. By 1845 costume jewelry had been dropped, and the Company was selling "real" jewelry and the city's most complete line of stationery. In 1847 silverware was added to the store's shelves. A short time later, watches, clocks, bronzes, perfumes, dinner sets, cuspidors, belts, and various other items were added. In 1853 Tiffany bought out his partners and changed the Company's name to Tiffany and Co. In 1868 the Company was incorporated.
In 1878, Tiffany and Co. won the Gold Medal for Jewelry and the Grand Prize at the Paris Exposition. The Company soon found itself serving as jeweler, silversmith, and goldsmith to many of the crown heads of Europe. However, its primary clientele was made up of the expanding ranks of the new Nouveau Riche of American industry during the Gilded Age. Charles Tiffany made it his business to accommodate the desires of the rich, no matter how pretentious they might be.
When Charles Tiffany died in 1902, his estate was estimated at $35 million. He would be the only Tiffany to run the Company. His eldest son, Louis Comfort Tiffany, occasionally designed jewelry for the firm but was much better known for his Art Nouveau stained glass.
The Great Depression of the 1930s was hard on Tiffany and Co. During that decade, the Company lost an average of $1 million annually. Over the next several decades, Tiffany and Co. worked aggressively to restore its fortunes. Top designers were recruited to create a new quality standard for the Tiffany line, re-establishing its reputation as an arbiter of style and good taste. By 2011 net sales had reached $6 billion worldwide.
- Adapted from research and text by Thomas Bachelder of the Malabar Farm Foundation.Location
Room
Dining RoomBuilding
The Big HouseOhio State Park
Malabar Farm State Park
