Tray or Waiter
1 of 10
Object Label
Exhibited in Tiffany’s display at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, this tray is evidence of the nineteenth-century search for America’s roots in its pre-European cultures. The object is based on the famous “sun calendar” of the Aztecs. The calendar had been excavated in Mexico City about a hundred years before and had become an icon of the pre-Columbian past.
Caption
Tiffany & Company (American, founded 1853). Tray or Waiter, ca. 1893. Silver, agate, 2 x 21 x 21 x 21 in. (5.1 x 53.3 x 53.3 x 53.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Modernism Benefit Fund, 87.182. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Maker
Title
Tray or Waiter
Date
ca. 1893
Geography
Place manufactured: New York, New York, United States
Medium
Silver, agate
Classification
Dimensions
2 x 21 x 21 x 21 in. (5.1 x 53.3 x 53.3 x 53.3 cm)
Signatures
no signature
Inscriptions
no inscriptions
Markings
Impressed on back: "TIFFANY & Co / 11361 [globe over T under TIFFANY & Co -- mark for 1893 fair] 4767 / STERLING SILVER / 925-1000"
Credit Line
Modernism Benefit Fund
Accession Number
87.182
Frequent Art Questions
What was this tray made for?
This sterling silver tray was made to be displayed by Tiffany & Co. at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. International fairs were an opportunity for manufacturers to showcase the talent of their craftsmen and designers. Tiffany & Co. drew design inspiration from a range of different cultural sources, including Japan, Egypt, Greece, the Celts, and Aztecs. This tray is based on the Aztec calendar stone that symbolizes the creation of the Aztec universe. Each foot that the tray rests upon is a representation of an Aztec deity.I would like to know more about this object please.
This tray is made of sterling silver and is by Tiffany & Company. The tray depicts Aztec imagery using a stylized version of the Aztec Calendar. this calendar symbolizes the creation of the Aztec universe. Each foot of the tray is also a representation of an Aztec Deity. It was likely exhibited at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. It was produced during a time when there was a growing interest in Native American art among collectors and tourists.Who would be using this tray? Do we know where this tray came from?Good question. It was initially made as an exhibition showpiece, to demonstrate the company’s technical abilities. After the World’s Fair, it was eventually acquired by William Randolph Hearst. It entered the Brooklyn Museum's collection by way of the Modernism Benefit Fund.Great info. Thanks!
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