Fin-de-siecle Classical sterling silver loving cup. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York. Urn-form with bellied bottom. Three leaf-capped and mounted scroll handles. In relief are men and women, nude with legs merging into leafing scrolls, their embraces abetted by cherubic cup bearers. Subdued eroticism on stippled ground with fruiting grapevines. Reeded foot with stylized egg-and-dart rim and three leaf-and-scroll mounted paw supports. Gilt-washed interior.

At top engraved presentation: “Samuel Mowry Nicholson / November 24, A.D. 1905 / From His Loving Friend and Elder Brother / Marsden J. Perry”. Nicholson (1861-1939) was a Rhode Island businessman, who was president of the largest American screw manufacturer. Perry (1850-1935) was a financier, who invested in railways and electric lighting. Both men lived in Providence and traced their ancestry back to the earliest English settlements in the Thirteen Colonies.

Also engraved at top are verses “Come fill the Cup and in the fire of Spring / Your Winter garment of Repentance fling” and “The Bird of Time has but a little way / To flutter—and the Bird is on the Wing”. They are from The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, a Persian poem translated into English in the mid-19th century, that was evocative of languid, unbuttoned spiritualism. It was still in vogue at the turn of the century.

Fully marked including maker’s stamp, pattern no. 10914, and director’s letter T (1892-1902). Excellent condition.

Dimensions: H 9 1/4 x D 9 3/8 x D 6 1/2 in. Heavy weight: 50.5 troy ounces. #BX016