Pitcher
Edward C. Moore
1878
Medium
Silver, gold, and copper
Dimensions
20.3 × 12.7 × 15.2 cm (8 7/8 × 5 1/4 × 6 7/8 in.)
Classification
pitcher (vessel)
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
102295
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
An asymmetrical water scene, realized through a combination of hammering, engraving, and applied metal elements, wraps around the body of this pitcher. The vignette was almost certainly inspired by the work of Katsushika Hokusai, a Japanese artist known for his dynamic woodblock prints of the natural world. Tiffany and Company’s design library included three volumes of Hokusai’s work, many featuring the same graceful irises, enlivened dragonflies, and splashing carp visible on this pitcher.