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Materials and Techniques

How are works of art created?

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Metalworking at Tiffany & Co.

Discover metalworking techniques employed by nineteenth-century American silversmiths at Tiffany & Co. through demonstrations by contemporary artisans, illustrative works from The Met collection, and primary source material.

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An artisan uses pliers to clip off dendrites of excess copper branching off the surface of a small square silver plate with a copper-filled letter M design in the center.

Explore metalworking techniques employed by Tiffany & Co.

Detail of a silver tray featuring the design of a frog seated at the edge of a grassy pond with a queue of mosquitos approaching from a setting sun on the horizon. The surface has a hexagonal-shaped texture. The grass and mosquitoes protrude in a low relief on the tray surface. The front is more heavily sculpted and plated with mixed metals that are silver, gold, and copper in tone.

An Introduction to Metalworking at Tiffany & Co.

How did Tiffany & Co. become an innovator of metalworking techniques in the nineteenth century?
A pair of black iron candlesticks with a tapered conical base appear side-by-side. They are adorned with various sinuous floral motives that are modeled in low relief on the surface and surfaced in a variety of silver-, gold-, and copper-toned metals.

Damascening

To produce a design or pattern by inlaying a softer metal into a harder one — often gold, silver, or copper into a darkened steel background.
A pair of dazzling gilded and enameled cups and saucers adorned with floral designs, a coat of arms, and monogram.

Electrolytic Etching

A process that eats into designated areas of a material's surface through the application of acids or an electrical current.

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