Lorgnette (face–à-main) c. 1900 - 1910

This lorgnette was crafted by Tiffany & Co., and I’m immediately drawn to the handle, which is just begging to be touched. It's hard not to think about how objects like this are made with such painstaking detail – that's the kind of art where the process is really upfront. You see the way the gold is worked, twisted, and shaped, it's like a drawing in metal, a sketch brought to life. The handle swells at the top, it's an iris bursting with jeweled light, then twisting down like a vine. It makes me think of Art Nouveau, of course, maybe even Gustav Klimt, who also loved to use these intricate decorative patterns. There’s such a tension in this piece between seeing and being seen, between utility and pure ornamentation. It's not just a tool to help you see better; it's a statement. Like a painting, it’s about looking, but it's also about how we frame our own gaze. It makes you wonder, doesn't it, what the wearer was looking for, and what they wanted others to see?