Tiffany & Co Antique Sterling Silver & Mixed Metals Traveling Chamberstick, NYC, NY, c. 1880

This rare traveling chamberstick is a work of art incorporating some of our favorite design motifs from Tiffany & Company.

A round saucer-shaped dish has an applied, undulating outside rim. Beautiful hammering covers the interior and exterior of the body. A gourd vine starting from the saucer's edge travels halfway around the dish. It is enhanced with two applied and chased leaves with inlaid copper flecks. One of the tendrils has a gold flower applied to the edge and side of the raised center.

Sitting in the bowl is an applied silver and copper fly. A removable sconce screws into the base and, when removed, reveals the marks. The sconce is decorated with six shippo designs executed with stunning inlaid copper and gold. Gourd vine and shippo designs were some of the motifs executed by Tiffany during this period. Shippo, a design based on Chinese coins that symbolizes good fortune, can be seen in this fantastic vase now in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection.

This beautiful item is marked 'TIFFANY & Co/ STERLING AND OTHER METALS/ 5639/ 1609/ 649/ M.' It measures just under 4.75 inches in diameter by just under 2.25 inches high, weighs 4.95 troy ounces, and is in excellent antique condition with very light scratches in the saucer.