When I think of Tiffany silver goods, I reflexively picture the heavy and elegant works from the late Nineteenth Century: pitchers engraved with Aesthetic Movement graphics, crawling with the insects, arachnids and amphibians of the period's Darwinian intrigue. But Tiffany, the company, has adapted with the times and, for the most part, succeeded. They are still in business to this day.
In the Post-War Modernist period, Tiffany crafted these little cordials of sterling silver—in keeping with the streamlined aesthetic of the Fifties and Sixties. The little "beakers" might be used to serve a cordial or after-dinner drink, perhaps a one-ounce "pony shot" as such a small tipple is known.
These cups were sent to me by a customer in New York whose father was the lawyer of the American theatre legend, Alfred Lunt (1892-1977). Lunt presented them as a gift to the attorney in the Sixties. Please click on the photo above to learn more about them.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Pittsburgh's historic "Strip District" at Mahla & Co. Antiques (www.mahlaantiques.com) or in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248