An American Renaissance style ivory-mounted ormolu humidor**

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EDWARD F. CALDWELL & COMPANY From its inception in 1895 through World War II, the New York firm established by Edward F. Caldwell (d.1914) and partner Victor E. Von Lossberg (d.1942), was the premier American designer and manufacturer of custom lighting fixtures and decorative metalwork. The firm's initial design principle was to adapt European decorative motifs for use in the design of electric lighting, thus bestowing an aesthetic enhancement on the purely functional. The company's range of products eventually broadened to include other metal works of art, enamelled objects, and even furniture. From its offices in the Jackson building on 15th Street in Manhattan, the company supplied fine quality products to a rich and conservative clientele, including such illustrious names as Henry Clay Frick, J. Pierpont Morgan and Frederick W. Vanderbilt. In New York, the company created lighting and decorative ironwork for many prominent buildings, including the Andrew Carnegie mansion, Radio City Music Hall, Saint Patrick's Cathedral, and the Waldorf-Astoria. In Washington, the firm provided much of the lighting fixtures for McKim, Mead & White's 1902 renovation of the Roosevelt White House. Some, but not all Caldwell fixtures are stamped with a 'C' inside a diamond. Desktop objects were likely to be etched with 'Edward F. Caldwell & Co. New York', in the manner of Tiffany & Co., Caldwell's chief competitor. The firm was incorporated in 1915 and the addition of the 'Inc.' at this time aids in dating pieces.

An American Renaissance style ivory-mounted ormolu humidor**

BY EDWARD F. CALDWELL & CO., NEW YORK, CIRCA 1913

Details

An American Renaissance style ivory-mounted ormolu humidor**
By Edward F. Caldwell & Co., New York, Circa 1913
Rectangular, the hinged top set with an ivory relief panel depicting figures and Classical motifs, opening to a purple-velvet-lined interior, inscribed E.F. Caldwell & Co. New York, the sides similarly carved
2 1/8 in. (5.4 cm.) high; 6 7/8 in. (17.5 cm.) wide; 5 in. (12.8 cm.) deep

Special notice

Notice Regarding the Sale of Material from Endangered Species. Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country

Lot Essay

The design for this cigar box was entered into the Caldwell company ledger on 14 April 1913.

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