This November 3, 2021, talk drew on groundbreaking research into Edward C. Moore, the head of Tiffany & Co.’s silver division during the second half of the 19th century, conducted for the recently published book Collecting Inspiration: Edward C. Moore at Tiffany & Co. and the accompanying exhibition that will be presented at The Metropolitan Museum in 2024. An avid, pioneering collector of works of art from diverse moments in time and geographies, Moore amassed a vast collection of Japanese works of art, ranging from metalwork to ceramics, lacquerware, baskets and textiles. His collections inspired him and his staff at Tiffany & Co. to produce silverwares of unprecedented virtuosity and originality.
Medill Harvey explored the transformative role Moore’s Japanese collections played at Tiffany & Co. It is a story of technical innovation, imaginative artistry and dynamic cultural exchange. Monika Bincsik discussed the group of more than 800 Japanese objects bequeathed by Moore to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1891 and Moore’s collecting sources.