Lot Details
Lot 72
Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Presentation Punch Bowl
Early 20th century
The body acid etched with maps of Cuba and the Philippines and the monogram "EU" below the arms of the United States, the tied reeded rim with applied eagles and hung with two laurel loose ring handles, all raised on a foliate pedestal stem on a circular base applied with figures of Inuit and Cuban soldiers, the underside with acid etched presentation inscription. Height inches, length over handles 13 3/4 inches, approximately 158 ounces.
The monogram is that of Elihu Root (1845-1937), who served the William McKinley administration as Secretary of War (1899-1904). The presentation underside reads: "Presented to Hon Elihu Root Ex Secretary of War by his friends of the War Department, April 1904." From 1905-1909 Root served as Secretary of State under Theodore Roosevelt.
Elihu Root was instrumental in defining America's new role as a colonial power at the end of the Spanish American War where he designed the Foraker Act of 1900 which brought civilian government in Puerto Rico; the Platt Amendment of 1901 to allow American intervention in Cuba if needed to maintain a stable government in the new republic; and the Philippine Organic Act of 1902 to make them self governing. The Inuit figure references Root's work with Great Britain to define the Canadian-Alaska border which helped to earn Root the Nobel Peace Prize in 1912.
The Tiffany & Co. Archives retains the records of the commission of this punch bowl in their books detailing the casting and making of the various elements.
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