Design for Salt Dish No. 1700

Art Historical Context

This delicate ink drawing captures a preparatory design for Salt Dish No. 1700, created by Tiffany and Company in 1867/68. As one of America’s leading producers of luxury silverware during the Gilded Age, Tiffany & Co. used such studies to refine elegant forms destined for wealthy households. The simple yet precise lines on tan wove paper reveal the careful planning behind objects that combined utility with refined ornament. Executed in black ink, the medium allowed designers to explore contours, proportions, and decorative details before the costly process of hammering and chasing silver began. Salt dishes like this one were essential table accessories in Victorian dining, often produced in matching sets that showcased both technical skill and taste. Today the drawing offers visitors a rare glimpse into the creative process at Tiffany & Co., illustrating how nineteenth-century luxury goods moved from paper sketch to finished metalwork. Its modest size and unassuming medium belie the important role such designs played in shaping American decorative arts.