Bracelet
ca. 1878
Medium
Gold
Dimensions
Diameter: 2 3/8 in. (6 cm)
Classification
Bracelet
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Martha J. Fleischman and Barbara G. Fleischman Gifts, in honor of Beth Carver Wees, 2018
Accession Number
2018.383
Art Historical Context
Step into the glittering world of Gilded Age America with this elegant gold bracelet by Tiffany & Co., crafted 1878. Measuring just 2 3/8 inches in, this delicate piece exemplifies the firm's mastery of fine jewelry during a time when New York-based Tiffany was revolutionizing American luxury goods. Founded in 1837 by Charles Lewis Tiffany, the company had by the late 19th century become synonymous with craftsmanship, blending European influences with innovative American design. In the Victorian era's final decades, bracelets like this one were coveted accessories for fashionable women, symbo...
About the Artist
Tiffany & Co. · 1837–present
Tiffany & Co., founded on September 18, 1837, by Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young in New York City as a stationery and fancy goods store, quickly evolved into a premier American house for jewelry and decorative arts. Under Charles's leadership, the firm introduced innovations like the sterling silver standard in 1851 and the iconic six-prong Tiffany Setting engagement ring in 1886, establis...