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Lot Essay
The MJM monogram found on the present lot possibly indicates that it was owned by Mary Jane Morgan (1823–1885), a frequent patron of Tiffany & Co. around this time period. A voracious collector, Morgan used her $9 million inheritance to amass a spectacular collection of fine and decorative arts in just seven years. Upon her death in 1885, the press reported that "the house of the late Mrs. Morgan is literally honeycombed with secret closets and drawers filled with works of art of the most varied kind."
Her collection was dispersed in a marathon 12-day auction in 1886, which was attended by thousands of spectators, who each paid fifty cents to see the exhibit. Over 150 lots of silver were offered, "with few exceptions made to order by Messrs Tiffany & Co." It appears that additional silver and jewelry was withheld from the auction, being repurchased by Tiffany & Co. or inherited by Morgan's heirs.
Most recently, a set of eighteen silver-gilt bowls and matching dessert plates baring the monogram MJM were sold at Christie's, New York, 20 January 2023, lot 572.
Her collection was dispersed in a marathon 12-day auction in 1886, which was attended by thousands of spectators, who each paid fifty cents to see the exhibit. Over 150 lots of silver were offered, "with few exceptions made to order by Messrs Tiffany & Co." It appears that additional silver and jewelry was withheld from the auction, being repurchased by Tiffany & Co. or inherited by Morgan's heirs.
Most recently, a set of eighteen silver-gilt bowls and matching dessert plates baring the monogram MJM were sold at Christie's, New York, 20 January 2023, lot 572.