Rare Tiffany Sterling Silver Football Themed Flask, Manufactured 1887 - 1888

A finely etched sterling silver flask measuring 5 ½ x 3 ½+, marked Tiffany.

We know from finding the actual drawings that were used to make this piece that it would have been made contemporary to these illustrations, in the 1887-1888 time period.  

From the October 1887 article “The American Game of Foot-Ball”, pgs 888-898, written by Alexander Johnston,  The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine, volume XXXlV, May 1887 to October 1887 we found the illustrations by Irving R Wiles that were used unchanged by Tiffany in the etching of this flask. The illustrations were used individually and as composites. One sees from the first illustration titled “A Foul Tackle, Low” the etching on the flask is the same, down to the lines and shading in the illustration.  The second illustration is from ‘Breaking Through the Rush Line” and combines one portion of the illustration with the previous work, again, identical down to the shading. Persistence in our researching proved fruitful in finding this. Other players etched onto the flask are taken from the article illustrations as well.

                                                      A Foul Tackle, Low

Breaking Through the Rush Line

The hallmarks read “2811M1201”, “Sterling” and “2 Gills”

Tiffany & Company Archives: Silver manufacturing Ledger, Entry 2811. 

Photo Copyright Tiffany & Co. Archives 2014 (Not to be published or reproduced without prior permission. No permission for commercial use will be granted except by written license agreement.)

Tiffany & Company Archives: Hollowware Blueprint, Liquor Bottle, 2811, Drawer E13-7 

Photo Copyright Tiffany & Co. Archives 2014 (Not to be published or reproduced without prior permission. No permission for commercial use will be granted except by written license agreement.)

No other ledgers are known that list this order number. Different design and decoration options were offered for this flask; eleven different versions are listed in the ledger. Costs of manufacture (not sale cost) ranged from $15.00 for a nine ounce “Magic Top” bottle to $53.00 for one with hammered and mounted decoration on both sides.

Our research shows that these commissioned pieces with football scenes are exceedingly rare - we know of only three example in total. 

As with many research projects, particularly with those that may take a year or more to get to the point of publication, there is someone that went above and beyond to assist in these efforts and without whom the project would not be possible. Our sincere thanks go out in this instance to Amy C. McHugh, a research coordinator at the Tiffany archives who happily and patiently answered our many questions and was able to supply us with information that would not have been available elsewhere.