The Stove by Shepard and Co.
This stove is a rather valuable object that is currently kept in Philadelphia Museum of Art. The stove was made in 1840s in New York based on the patent of Eliphalet Nott. The material this stove is made of is cast iron. According to the patterns decorating the surface of the stove, it refers to the times of Napoleon Bonaparte and his military triumphs. The picture of Napoleon on his horse is located on the upper front side of the stove. The main purpose of the stoves patented by Nott was to provide heat during cold seasons for domestic and non-domestic locations. The initial design of Nott stove is rather simple and does not include many decorations. The manufacturers of Shepard and Co. stove went through a lot of trouble adding patterns and ornaments to this object, this is why it remained functional and also presented a great aesthetic value.
The Vase and Stand by Thomas Fletcher
The vase is an outstanding piece of silversmith art. This beautiful object was made by Thomas Fletched for the order of Baldwin Gardiner who came to Philadelphia especially to find this master. The vase was made as a gift of appreciation from the merchants of the New York to the city Attorney called Hugh Maxwell as a sign of gratitude for the prosecution of New York Stock Exchange corrupt directors. The medium composing the vase is silver. The object’s design contains three figures of winged sphinxes, which is a reference to ancient Greek legends. According to the ancient myths, sphinx is a symbol of ultimate wisdom, omniscience, and justice. These, obviously, were the features the New York merchants admired about recipient of the vase.
Tea Set by Tiffany and Co. and the Cabinet by Giuseppe Ferrari
Even though these two magnificent objects do not belong to the same master, they have some features in common. Tea set by Tiffany and Company made in 1866-1867 was fashioned in Moresque style and inspired by Spanish Islamic architecture and Persian metal works, and the Cabinet by Giuseppe Ferrari made in 1874-1876 clearly was influenced by French and Italian art of the time. Both of these pieces were created under the impact of non-American art streams that occurred due to the waves of immigration of Europeans to the United States. For the consumers of 1860s and 1870s these objects were the reminders of their roots and non-American cultural background, which they respected and appreciated trying to preserve. Today, these eclectic art works can be viewed as demonstrations of major cultural mix caused by globalization.
The Secretaire Cabinet by George Jack and Morris and Co.
This object has very clear features demonstrating that it belongs to the artists of the Arts and Crafts movement. This movement included artists and craftsmen who admired pre-Raphaelian era of art and thus used simple and romantic medieval patterns in their works. The pieces made by Arts and Crafts artists are easy to recognize because their decorations contain a lot of curvy and spiral lines, mainly those are the stems of flowers or tree branches. Adding medieval patterns to the art of the end of 1880s and the beginning of 1900s was the way of the participants of Arts and Crafts movement to fight against their contemporary art and fashion. The cabinet was made in London in 1889 and includes such materials as mahogany and hardwood.