Tiffany at the Table

Tiffany & Co.’s new collection of plates, bowls, and other household goods harnesses the renegade spirit of the late, mononymous French sculptor César (born César Baldaccini), whose distorted works were pivotal in the Nouveau Réalisme movement. The collection, which launches this week, revives the artist’s “broken plates,” which the Paris decorating studio Atelier Le Tallec crafted out of porcelain in the 1970s. In six different pastel colorways, the dessert plates and saucers are a faithful nod to the artist’s playful trump l’œil. While the candle holders, bowls, and charger plate, which are all seemingly positioned in a golden pool of wax, are modeled after the signature contortions of César’s “Expansions.”

‍

Tiffany’s dining ware gives César’s ingenious designs a second life in a nod to his lasting legacy. At the start of his career in the 1960s, he explored modern technology by compressing old vehicles and junk metal with a hydraulic press to create both monumental hunks and carefully manipulated steel portraits. When he retired from metalwork, he became interested in polyurethane foam, a plastic material that expands as it solidifies. Fascinated, he used the material to create his “Expansions,” free-flowing sculptures that didn’t conform to a mold. The result was a collection of wholly original pieces, abstracted and organic, fluid but preserved.

Tiffany & Co. x Fondation César was conceived under the artistic direction of Lauren Santo Domingo, who was appointed in March of last year. Since taking the helm, she has expressed an interest in modernizing traditional Tiffany designs. When she came on board, she refreshed its catalog and stylistically expanded fine tableware to solidify its relevance. The collaboration additionally features gold-plated teaspoons and flatware sets, espresso cups, and linens adorned with an ornamental nod to the Bird on a Rock brooch designed by Jean Schlumberger. This collection of César-inspired tableware extends Santo Domingo’s work: It packages the sculptor’s idiosyncrasies within the legacy house’s trademarks, creating a youthful collection that doesn’t skimp on Tiffany elegance.

‍

The Tiffany & Co. x Fondation César collection is available at The Landmark in New York City at 727 5th Ave, New York, NY 10022, as well as on the Tiffany & Co. U.S. website starting November 15.