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Necklace

ca. 1878
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 743
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.
The multi-colored gold birds and flowers applied to the openwork plaques on this necklace reflect the fascination with Japanese art that captured the attention of European and American designers following the reopening of Japan to trade in 1859. Tiffany & Co. manufactured a range of jewelry and accessories in the Japanese taste beginning in the mid-1870s, which often employ varicolored metals, as here. A closely related necklace is in the collection of the British Museum in London. Although unmarked, the attribution to Tiffany & Co. for both examples is widely accepted based on a marked piece that uses similar techniques and motifs. The motifs are also similar to drawings made by Tiffany & Co.’s then chief designer Edward C. Moore in the 1870s

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Necklace
  • Maker: Tiffany & Co. (1837–present)
  • Date: ca. 1878
  • Geography: Made in New York, New York, United States
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Multicolored gold
  • Dimensions: Length: approximately 14 in. (35.6 cm)
  • Credit Line: Promised Gift of Barrie A. and Deedee Wigmore
  • Object Number: L.2009.9.2
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing