Loving Cup

The Cincinnati art Museum’s monumental loving cups (accession numbers 2004.9 & 2001.16) demonstrate the significant role and range of exotic influences in nineteenth-century decorative arts, while underscoring Tiffany & Co.’s ability to conceive ingenious, masterfully crafted silver in a variety of fashions for the entertainment and consumption of its wealthy clientele.

This cup, made in 1897, depicts American Indians on horseback hunting bison, a nostalgic scene inspired by a print from George Catlin’s “North American Indian Portfolio” of 1845. The cup’s base is worked to simulated buffalo hide, bear claws, and a bold geometric design of inlaid copper and niello (a black metallic alloy) inspired by Native American basketwork, pottery, and textiles. Bison horns form the cup’s handles.