Sugar bowl 1880

This sugar bowl was made by Tiffany & Co. from silver, with mixed-metal and stone accents. The hammered surface texture gives it a hand-wrought feel, yet this was a luxury product made using sophisticated industrial techniques. Tiffany were pioneers in electroplating, a process of depositing precious metals onto a base, and they also popularized mixed-metal work, combining different metallic alloys on a single object. Look closely, and you will see the influence of Japanese design. In the late 19th century, American manufacturers often borrowed design ideas from Japan, which were seen as refined, yet also modern. The imagery here – fish, reptiles, and pine sprigs – are all borrowed from Japanese naturalism. The sugar bowl is fascinating, because it is both highly crafted, and highly commercial. Ultimately, its value lies not just in the materials or the making, but in the symbolic power of Tiffany as a global brand.