This pair of sterling silver flagons was a wedding gift in 1878 to Josephine Hilton (1856-?) from Cornelia Clinch Stewart (1802-1886), the widow of New York department store tycoon A. T. Stewart (1803-1876). The bride was the daughter of Stewart's primary advisor, Henry Hilton (1824-1899). As presentation pieces—intended for display rather than use—the flagons would have simultaneously honored a friendship, commemorated the marriage of the recipient, and reflected the wealth and status of the donor.

Mrs. Stewart's gift of silver from Tiffany & Co., the most prestigious American designer of the era, reflects the taste and patronage of the upper echelons of New York society during America's Gilded Age. The Islamic-inspired design of these flagons in the Persian style reflects the European and American fascination
with cultures of the Middle and Far East—known as “Orientalism”—in an era of expanding international empires and trade.