A very fine and large piece, incorporating unusually large bands of mokume, with undulating rim and acid-etched foliate decoration to bowl.<br /><br />

Mokume, a Japanese metalworking term referring to wood grain, is the process of repeatedly folding a stack of thin sheets of various alloys, then slicing the resulting slab to create a mesmerizing and intricate pattern. Tiffany silversmiths learned this advanced technique from Japanese smiths, and it's even speculated that some Japanese metalworkers may have been employed in Tiffany's New York studios.<br /><br />

The two mokume elements on this bowl are among the largest specimens we know of in any work by Tiffany.