Flagon

This pair of sterling silver flagons was a wedding gift in 1878 to Josephine Hilton
(1856–?) from Cornelia Clinch Stewart (1802–1886), the widow of New York
department store tycoon A. T. Stewart (1803–1876). The bride was the daughter
of Stewart’s primary advisor, Henry Hilton (1824–1899). As presentation pieces—
intended for display rather than use—the flagons would have simultaneously
honored a friendship, commemorated the marriage of the recipient, and
reflected the wealth and status of the donor.

Mrs. Stewart’s gift of silver from Tiffany & Co., the most prestigious American
designer of the era, reflects the taste and patronage of the upper echelons of
New York society during America’s Gilded Age. The Islamic-inspired design of
these flagons in the Persian style reflects the European and American fascination
with cultures of the Middle and Far East—known as “Orientalism”—in an era of
expanding international empires and trade.