AFA 18th Anniversary

2018 Antiques & Fine Art 165 This densely ornamented Tiffany & Co. pitcher inspired several artists with its artistic and technically impressive representations of ferns, dogwood blossoms, violets, and other spring flowers. In addition to a forged, raised, repousséd and chased pitcher by Preston Jones, with embellishments of an agave plant reminiscent of the floral elements on the Tiffany pitcher, jeweler and designer Ted Muehling and artist Robert Lobe found a point of departure in the pitcher’s representation of the natural world. Muehling created three boxes, one of which is shown here, with highly naturalistic renderings of chased lichen on wood. Lobe hammered an aluminum sheet over a natural rock formation, then recreated a branch out of fine silver and a fern from stainless steel, transforming the organic into the ornamental. Tiffany & Co. (founded 1837), Askos pitcher, ca. 1873–78. Silver, raised, repousséd, chased, and gilt; gold. H. 10½, W. 9, D. 8 in. Museum of the City of New York; Gift of Paul Guarner in honor of John Daley (2003.32.1). Robert Lobe (b. 1945), Forest Moonlight, 2017. Aluminum, stainless steel, and fine silver, hammered, H. 55, W. 42, D. 28¼ in. Courtesy of the artist. Ted Muehling (b. 1953), Lichen Box, 2017. Silver, fabricated, repousséd, and chased. H. 1, W. 3, D. 9 in. Photo courtesy of the artist and the Museum of the City of New York.