A yachting trophy designed by Tiffany & Company and exhibited in their pavilion at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition sold for $62,500 at Heritage Auctions’ Fine Silver & Objects of Vertu Signature Auction on November 17, 2020.
According to Heritage, Ogden Goelet commissioned two cups for the races that would be held during New York Yacht Clubs Annual Cruise in 1892. The following year the cup was on display in the Tiffany Pavilion at the Columbian Exposition along with three other Goelet Cups. They describe the piece:
“The urn-form trophy with acid etched victory scene of war ships and in the foreground Triton blowing a conch shell surrounded by mermaids rising from waves, one mermaid holding up a victory wreath, blank cartouche to reverse flanked by mermaids, base of body with acid etched band of tritons alternating with stylized leaves, shoulder with acid etched inscription, removable laurel wreath attaches with pin below cast dolphin-form bifurcated handles and above opposite handle a catch for either end of wreath.”
A photograph of the Goelet cup was printed page 78 of Tiffany at the World’s Columbian Exposition by J.M. Blades & J. Loring (Henry Morrison Flagler Museum, 2006).
A photograph from the Tiffany & Company exhibit at the 1893 World’s Fair, showing the Goelet cup (labeled “D”). [Image from The Illustrated American, May 20, 1893.]
I have bedroom furniture purchased at the 1893 Chicago Worlds Fair. It was purchased by my great grandparents, Ernest and William Knabe of Knabe Pianos. The maker of the furniture is the Hertz Brothers of New York. The furniture was handed down to my parents and then to me. I am interested in selling the bedroom set. We have kept it in one of our guest bedrooms and it has had very little use. I have detailed pictures of it. It is in excellent condition and is absolutely stunning. Would you recommend where I should list the furniture for sale?
The bedroom furniture you have inherited sounds like quite a treasure. Perhaps a local auction house can better advise about how to find a buyer?