The Met: Tiffany/Moore Exhibition

The Met had half a dozen special exhibitions going on in September and October, and among those we took in was the special assemblage of items from the collection of Edward C. Moore. Moore was a collector and designer, specializing in silver, who rose in his own family's silver business, as Tiffany's chief supplier, then joined Tiffany's when it acquired the Moore silver firm. Moore was highly talented, well educated in his work, and wealthy, which is a great combination especially for travel and art collecting, among other things. He collected from the four corners of the earth, based many of his Tiffany creations on items he had collected, and, upon dying, left his vast collection, some thousands of items, to the Met. From 1942, they we dispersed throughout the museum, but for this exhibition, sponsored by Tiffany's, several hundred have been reassembled to honor Moore. Included were items he collected  as well as items he designed for Tiffany's. We'll see much more Tiffany work, particularly glass, when we tour the Met's American Wing, and especially later, when we tour the lamp collection at the NYC Historical Society. Tiffany's is practically synonymous with NYC, thank you Truman Capote, and maybe we'll have breakfast at the Blue Box Cafe sometime.

Further background

Edward C. Moore

Among the prize cups Moore designed

Goelet Cup, Schooner Prize, 1884

Moore was especially fond of glass and led Tiffany's
through much experimentation with glass technique;
above, from his collection, is a footed 16th century
Austrian vase, blown, painted, gilded, etc.

More bits from his glass collection

Swan Moore designed for the 1776 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition

Silver, copper, and gold dish, also from the 1776 Exposition; Asian
flourishes, but a reference to a 17th century French novel...

The so-called Conglomerate Vase, wherein Tiffany's mastered
Japanese metal-working techniques...

Tiffany-decorated Smith and Wesson pistols, early 1880s; silver bullets
not included

More Japanese metal work

1890 Tiffany candelabrum

Pair of Tiffany silver candalabra, 1884, commissioned by
Mary Morgan, said to be Tiffany's most elaborate in Moore's
tenure; at least 6 feet high! 

Enameled vase--the Magnolia Vase-- from 1893 Chicago

World Fair; gold, silver, enamel, opals...

One room from the exhibit