Physical Qualities
Sterling silver, 9 1/4 x 7 x 6 in. (23.5 x 17.8 x 15.2 cm)
Credit Line
Decorative Arts Acquisitions Endowment established by the Friends of the American Wing
Object Number
1998.30
When Italy became a unified kingdom in 1860, the ruins at Pompeii suddenly became a popular tourist destination. In response, Tiffany & Company titled its cigar holder Pompeii. Cigars were proffered in the large open urn of this cigar stand, while the small closed urn above held fuel and a wick for lighting. Drawn from antiquity, the main decorative motif of a woman slumped in a Grecian chair reminds us that Victorian manners prohibited men from smoking their cigars in a lady’s presence without her permission. An engraved inscription on the underside reads “Hamilton Fish from Julia Fish, December 15, 1861. 25th Anniversary of our marriage.”
Inscribed: Stamped on the bottom: TIFFANY & CO./1200/QUALITY 925-1000/M (in an oval)/8084. Engraved on rim of underside: Hamilton Fish from Julia Fish, December 15, 1861. 25th. Anniversary of our Marriage