The silver, jewel incrusted Viking- themed vase designed by George Paulding Farnham for Tiffany & Co. , especially for the Pan American Exposition of 1901 in Buffalo, New York stands alone in a centrally located glass case in the American Silver Gallery located on the fourth floor of the Dallas Museum of Art in Dallas, Texas. Only standing eight inches high, the intricate details of the vase draws the viewer in and keeps them there as the eye runs over the delicate scroll and serpentine patterns of silverwork, colorful enameling and strategically placed garnets and citrines.
Engraved, chased, and etched, the interlacing Celtic-like scrolls and knots wrap delicately and symmetrically around the vessel. Serpentine handles flank the widest and uppermost portion of the vase while twin stylized bird head figures frame the rim. In the center of the vase sits a stylized Viking-like mask or helmet. Symmetrically placed gemstones adorn the vase from the rim to the foot, while contrasting matte lavender, light green, and golden yellow enamels sit just behind the gleaming silver scroll patterns and echo the colors of the gemstones.
Although the actual creator or craftsperson(s) who physically constructed the vase is unknown, the Viking themed piece was designed by George Farnham specifically for the Pan American Exposition of 1901 in Buffalo, New York. More than likely, it was not intended for home use or decoration, but was created to attract attention and to be admired and to show what was humanely possible within the silversmithing world. It was created to distinguish its designers and to win awards, and that it did. Today, Farnham’s Viking themed vase is exactly where it belongs, in a glass case of its own, in perfect light, for all to see.
George Paulding Farnham was born in 1859 in New York, NY. In November of 1885, at the age of twenty-six he acquired his first contract with Tiffany’s serving as general assistant to Edward C. Moore in the design department. It was also said that Farnhan’s aunt was married to Charles Thomas Cook who was the vice president of Tiffany & Co. and the right hand of founder Charles Lewis Tiffany; and at an early age Cook recognized Farnhan’s artistic talents and helped him get an apprenticeship at the Tiffany School.
Soon after starting his design career with the prestigious company, George Paulding Farnham became referred to as “Tiffany’s young genius of jewelry design” and was asked to create a collection of jewelry that would be shown at the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1889. Two years, and two hundred designs later, Farnham had made a name for himself and Tiffany & Co. , as he was said to be the “man of the hour” at the exposition as the press singled him out as his work was “the most original and outstanding jewels shown at the exposition”; the awards exceeded any amount that Tiffany’s had been awarded in any previous exposition.
Farnham earned himself and Tiffany’s a gold medal. In 1901, at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, NY, Farnham displayed his newest works for the world to see. Some of which included his Viking themed silver including this specific vase on display at the Dallas Museum of Art. While the movement associated with this piece is centered on Victorianism, it would sit well in a possible eclectic revival of the primitive, yet not a revival of a certain period- rather it is a revival of “the exotic” or primitive; cultures that Farnham drew his inspirations from are intertwined in his designs.
Similar to that of Edward C. Moore who Farnham assisted and learned from, he too was also very inspired by the designs of other cultures; Moore’s aesthetic obviously was passed down to Farnham and eventually made its way into Farnham’s designs. Farnham’s Viking themed silver vase could easily be mistaken for an artifact from another time considering Paulding Farnham was significantly inspired by Nordic and Byzantine cultures in the designing of this piece. Many of his award winning silver pieces during this time were inspired by “the exotic” including Islamic, Asian, Native American nd Celtic cultures – it was cultural appropriation at its finest.
Inspired by the idea of “picturesquely ornamented savages” of the first half of the nineteenth century, Tiffany’s promoted what was known as Indian Goods such as moccasins, dresses, pipes, belts, pouches and other various items. While Tiffany’s had been selling Native American inspired goods for decades leading up to Farnham’s arrival, it was only when he took over that the designs turned from literal depictions and sculptures of Native Americans to more original designs including works derived from Native pottery and basketry.
Farnham was using the inspiration and making the designs as much his own as possible rather than just copying Native art. Some of his impressive exotic inspired works include: a silver and turquoise “Zuni” bowl of 1900 which was inspired by Zuni baskets, a silver and Arizona turquoise vase based on Navajo pottery, a copper and niello inlaid silver cup and saucer with a Navajo blanket pattern (1890), an Aztec inspired coffee service of 1897, and many more pieces that also took the shape of native pottery and baskets.