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Match Case

ca. 1889
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 706
This match case and related cigarette case (41.140.2) are rare surviving examples of Tiffany & Co.’s laminated metalwork. The marbled surfaces show Tiffany's mastery of the Japanese metalworking technique mokume-gane (meaning "wood grain" or, literally, "wood eye"). The silversmiths at Tiffany experimented tirelessly until they discovered their own method of creating the laminated material, an achievement that had eluded Western metalsmiths. Their process involved layering, soldering, and compressing sheets of metals and alloys together, then manipulating the result by drilling, hammering, and rolling. Initially employed as an accent, the swirling laminate was soon being used to create entire objects, like this one. A surviving technical manual records that staff treated the surface with muriatic acid to impart the polished, glassy finish.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Match Case
  • Maker: Tiffany & Co. (1837–present)
  • Date: ca. 1889
  • Geography: Made in New York, New York, United States
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Gold, silver, brass, patinated copper, gold-copper alloy, silver-copper alloy, and patinated copper-platinum-iron alloy
  • Dimensions: 2 3/8 x 1 1/4 x 5/8 in. (6 x 3.2 x 1.6 cm); 1 oz. 18 dwt. (59.7 g)
  • Credit Line: Gift of Susan Dwight Bliss, 1941
  • Object Number: 41.140.3
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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