Mixed Metals Flask, c. 1880

While Tiffany is best known as the pioneer of Japanese influence on American metalwork, other American firms followed and expanded their innovation. Of particular note is Whiting & Co., a company which was reborn in New York City after a devastating 1875 fire ruined their factory in Massachusetts. Their most notable designer, Charles Osborne, departed for Tiffany in 1878 and worked there under the direction of Edward C. Moore. However, it seems Osborne was not under exclusive contract, as he designed pieces for Whiting throughout the early 1880s—possibly including this flask—before returning to Whiting full time in 1888.

Like the Japanese-inspired mixed-metals pieces made by Tiffany under Moore, Whiting used "hand hammered" finishing to give pieces like this one a distinctively hand-crafted feel. In contrast to highly stylized traditional depictions of foliage in silver, the use of mixed metals (silver and copper) here presents an unfiltered, less idealized lens on the natural world.

In essentially perfect condition, with crisp decoration and faceting, this flask demonstrates the extraordinary quality that Whiting was able to achieve during their peak years.