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Tiffany & Co. Orchid Brooch, attributed to Paulding Farnham

$38,000
Created in the period between 1890-1900, this Tiffany & Co. 18K gold and enamel "cattleya ibaiata" orchid brooch is a design attributed to Paulding Farnham. The naturalistic, highly three dimensional white matte enamel orchid has streaked petals and touches of lavender. A rare surviving jewel of a celebrated Tiffany series first designed by Farnham for the 1889 World Exposition in Paris, this lovely antique jewel is among the prized examples of the firm's early and innovative naturalistic designs.

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  • Product Details
  • Curator's Notes

Item #: BO-14583
Artist: Tiffany & Co.
Country: United States
Circa: 1900
Dimensions: 1.75" length, 1.625" width
Materials: Enamel (with restoration); 18K Gold
Signed: Tiffany & Co.

In creating this as well as his larger and more elaborate orchid brooches, Paulding Farnham made use of the technique of electro-forming. Tiffany had mastered this technique in the late 1870s, when they created the "Curium Treasure" jewelry, directly electro-forming the ancient Cypriot gold which formed part of the original collection of the Metropolitan Museum in New York. These jewels based on Curium Treasure designs had secured for Tiffany the nation's first gold medal for jewelry at the Paris Exposition of 1878. Building on this success, Farnham harnessed the same technique to create twenty-four species of orchids and other flowers, first in copper. These electroforms were then used to make molds for casting in gold, after which they were enameled and set with gems. Workmen at Tiffany had access both to contemporary botanical literature and living examples of the various species with which to ensure the botanical accuracy of their refined enamels. The orchids caused a sensation at the Exposition, with Figaro praising them as "so perfect, so life-like in their grace and charm, that they give the illusion of being natural." Reporters noted that the orchid exhibit was the "most popular corner of Messrs. Tiffany's show." To satisfy continuing demand for these marvelous jewels, Farnham re-created some of the originals in versions with slight variations, and added to these at least seventeen more varieties to sell in the firm's New York and Paris stores.
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