Berry Dish

Art Historical Context

This elegant Berry Dish, crafted by Tiffany and Company in 1859, exemplifies the refined silverwork that helped establish the firm as a leader in American luxury goods. Measuring just over six inches high, the vessel was designed for serving fresh berries at the table—a common feature of Victorian-era dining rituals that celebrated seasonal abundance and social display. Its silver construction with a gold wash creates a warm, luminous surface that elevates an everyday functional object into something worthy of a well-appointed sideboard. As a product of mid-nineteenth-century America, the dish reflects the growing prosperity of the United States and the rising demand for finely made domestic wares. Tiffany and Company, founded only two decades earlier, combined traditional silversmithing techniques with innovative design to meet this market. The use of gold wash not only enhanced the visual appeal but also protected the surface, demonstrating the thoughtful craftsmanship typical of the period’s most prestigious tableware. Today housed in the Art Institute of Chicago’s Arts of the Americas collection, this piece offers visitors a glimpse into how nineteenth-century Americans expressed status and taste through beautifully designed objects meant for both utility and admiration.