Artist/Maker: Tiffany & Co. (American, founded 1837)
Medium: Yellow, rose, and white gold; citrine; crystal; spinner fob design
Date: February 8, 1907
Provenance: Gift from Gilder’s four surviving siblings, inscribed with their signatures
Collection: Gilder Palmer Family Archive

Price: $10,500 USD

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US Shipping Fees $250  
*US Export Fee* $2,000

Expanded Description with Historical Context

This exquisite Tiffany & Co. watch fob was presented to Richard Watson Gilder (1844–1909), poet, reformer, and longtime editor of The Century Magazine, on his birthday, February 8, 1907. A gift from his four surviving siblings, each of whom inscribed their names upon it, the fob embodies both masterful craftsmanship and deep familial devotion.

Fashioned in yellow, rose, and white gold, the piece features a remarkable spinner element: one side is set with a 10-carat yellow citrine, while the reverse displays intricate goldwork beneath a crystal face, a hallmark of Tiffany’s artistry in the early 20th century.

The fob’s personal significance is profound. Presented just two years before Gilder’s death, it served not only as a luxurious adornment but also as a symbolic gesture of unity among siblings whose family had endured profound losses. The combination of Tiffany’s impeccable design and the handwritten inscriptions makes this a singular artifact of both American decorative arts and Gilder family history.

Richard Watson Gilder himself was a central figure of the Gilded Age cultural renaissance. As editor of The Century Magazine, he published groundbreaking works by Mark Twain, Walt Whitman, and Henry James, while also championing social reforms ranging from abolition to women’s suffrage. That his siblings chose Tiffany — the preeminent American luxury house of the era — underscores the family’s standing within New York’s artistic and literary elite.

This watch fob thus unites three stories: the brilliance of Tiffany craftsmanship, the enduring legacy of the Gilder literary dynasty, and the intimacy of a personal keepsake meant to outlast the man himself.

Historical Significance

• Maker: Tiffany & Co., the leading American jeweler of the Gilded Age.

• Provenance: A birthday gift to Richard Watson Gilder from his siblings in 1907, inscribed with their signatures.

• Design: Rare tricolor gold construction with spinner fob design, citrine gemstone, and crystal covering.

• Cultural Context: Bridges Tiffany’s decorative arts with the personal history of one of America’s most influential cultural editors.