Collecting Inspiration

The first publication to examine the pioneering designer and prolific collector who led Tiffany & Co. to creative and commercial success

A silversmith, designer, and prodigious collector, Edward C. Moore (1827–1891) was the creative leader who brought Tiffany & Co. toun paralleled originality and success during the late nineteenth century. This informative, richly illustrated volume—the first study of Moore’s life and influence—presents more than 175 examples from his vast collection, ranging from Greek and Roman glass to Spanish vases, Islamic metalwork, and Japanese textiles. These are juxtaposed with sixty-nine magnificent silver objects created by the designers and artisans at Tiffany who were inspired by Moore’s acquisitions. The illuminating texts have been enriched by groundbreaking research into newspapers, periodicals, the Tiffany & Co. Archives, a newly identified technical manual, and supervisor’s diaries, all of which provide an intimate look at the firm’s design processes and Moore’s role in shaping them. A valuable contribution to the history of American decorative arts, Collecting Inspiration illuminates the legendary Tiffany aesthetic and the legacy of a significant collector, designer, and entrepreneur of the Gilded Age.

Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press

Exhibition Schedule:

Author Biography

Medill Higgins Harvey is the Ruth Bigelow Wriston Associate Curator of American Decorative Arts and Manager, The Henry R. Luce Center for the Study of American Art.