Tiffany & Co 'Art Deco' Sterling Silver Cocktail Set, New York City, c. 1925

Good examples of American art deco silver are very hard to come by and this cocktail service is exquisite.

The large cocktail shaker is made of three parts: the large canister, the cover and stopper. The cover has a built-in strainer for ice, fruit etc and the stopper can be used as a jigger or measuring cup.

Stunning art deco foliate design is executed with an acid-etched engraving technique. This leaf and flower design hangs downward to create eight arches. This exotic design is executed in similar complimentary panels on the cover.

The stem ware is also beautiful with its conical-shaped cups, plain stems and slightly domed bases. Here the design is executed on a smaller scale to fit the surface of the cups with six hanging scenes. The bases are also beautifully adorned.

The tray is magnificent with its wooden interior being framed with a sterling gallery and upturned handles at the ends.

The handles have a circular cartouche flanked with leaf decoration. A lovely 'MC' monogram is engraved on the handles and on each of the pieces in the set. It is extremely rare to get an original set intact.

The 'art deco' movement flourished internationally after the First World War and this cocktail service would have made an important addition to a modern interior of its day. Look at the abstracted natural decoration on this 1922 designed luxurious cabinet by Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art or this Ruhlmann rug shown at the 'Art Deco' Exhibition to see how complementary these pieces would have been.

This exceptional set is marked 'TIFFANY & Co/ MAKERS/ STERLING SILVER/ 925-1000/ m'. The pattern numbers on the shaker are '18917-4484/' and '18747-1148' on the tray and '20037-8453' on the stem ware (the designs dating from 1914-22). The rectangular tray measures 25.5 inches long by just shy of 4 inches wide, the cocktail shaker 9 inches high. The total weight of the shaker and stems is 43.65 troy ounces and the set is in excellent antique condition.