Tiffany & Co 6-piece Aesthetic Movement Antique Sterling Silver Coffee Service in the Indo/Persian Taste, NYC, c. 1880

This exceedingly rare coffee service incorporates luxurious design masterfully executed by Tiffany and Company. It consists of a hot water kettle on stand with its original burner, a coffee pot, tea pot, sugar, creamer and waste bowl.

The tilting kettle on stand is magnificent with stunning details. The kettle, with its curved, hinged cover and base along with a short spout are repousséd and chased with amazing flowing foliate branches and sporadic flowers of various size and stages of bloom. (They look like peonies set in fern to the untrained eye.)

The design of the shaped handle splits on both ends and wraps around the shoulders of the pot. An impressive stand is also beautifully decorated on all areas including the dome and cover of the burner. The undulating sides of the base along with the overall design create wonderful movement within the pieces.

The coffee pot, creamer, covered sugar bowl and waste bowl are all similarly ornamented with each piece being unique as the design is conformed to the individual shapes of the pieces. It is interesting how Tiffany has used the familiarity of western flowers in an overall Indo/Persian type design.

All of the pieces are engraved underneath with the original monogram 'LMK' and with a later inscription 'L.K.G/ August 31, 1935

Provenance:
Laura Page Mitchell Married William S. Kimball on August 11, 1880
Daughter Cecilia Mitchell Kimball married George Cooley Gordon
Daughter Laura Kimball Gordon married Christian Henry Hecker on August 31, 1935

The Florists Review on December 7th, 1922 noted her passing on p. 64:

Mrs. Laura Mitchell Kimball, of Rochester, N. Y., passed away Monday, November 27, at the family residence, 145 Troup street, that city. On many occasions the city of Rochester and the florists in particular have been greatly indebted to this esteemed woman for the profusion of specimen chrysanthemum blooms, ferns, palms and rare species of orchids at the several flower shows staged at Rochester. Her greenhouses, which were always filled with the season's choicest flowers, were open to the public about twice each week, and every year several thousands of people visited the conservatory.

This floral and foliate service is so appropriate for the first owner whose flowers were world famous.

Her husband, William Kimball, was a tobacco magnate. After their marriage, he built 'Kimball Castle' in Rochester as their home. One of the first people to hire Louis Comfort Tiffany and Associated Artists as designers, Kimball's mansion was the most significant residence in Rochester. Interior designs included Lockwood de Forest's Indian carved teak paneling which would have complemented this service nicely.

This rare and exceptional service is marked underneath 'TIFFANY & CO/ MAKERS/ STERLING-SILVER/ 925-1000/ M' and the kettle on stand is marked 'C'. The kettle on stand measures 10.5 inches long by 13 inches high. It has a total weight of 170.20 troy ounces and is in excellent condition.