NGA AQUIRES PTARMIGAN VASE

THANKS TO A GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF CANADIAN HERITAGE'S MOVABLE CULTURAL PROPERTY PROGRAM, THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA (NGA), OTTAWA, HAS ACQUIRED A UNIQUE AND HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT VASE FOR ITS INTERNATIONAL ART COLLECTION. THE PTARMIGAN VASE, MADE OF COPPER, SILVER AND GOLD WAS DESIGNED BY THE EXCEPTIONALLY TALENTED AMERICAN TIFFANY & CO. DESIGNER GEORGE PAULDING FARNHAM. 'WE WERE ATTRACTED TO THIS EXTRAORDINARY VASE BECAUSE IT TELLS THE STORY OF HOW CANADIAN AND AMERICAN CULTURES ARE CLOSELY CONNECTED', SAID MARC MAYER, DIRECTOR AND CEO OF THE NGC. 'ACCORDING TO EVERY EXPERT WE HAVE CONSULTED, THE VASE IS ONE OF THE MOST AMBITIONS DECORATIVE OBJECTS OF ITS KIND IN EXISTENCE. CANADA IS THE BEST HOME FOR THE PTARMIGAN VASE. PURCHASING IT WAS AN EXTREMELY TIME SENSITIVE EXERCISE AND WE ARE MOST GRATEFUL TO THE MINISTER OF CANADIAN HERITAGE AND OFFICIAL LANGUAGES, WHO RESPOND QUICKLY AND DECISIVELY TO OUR REQUEST FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.' THE MONUMENTAL PTARMIGAN VASE, CIRCA 1900-05, FUSES TOGETHER LAYERS OF COPPER AND SILVER USING THE TRADITIONAL JAPANESE MOKUME ('WOODGRAIN METAL') TECHNIQUE. CRAFTED IN SILVER, A ROCK PTARMIGAN, A TYPE OF GROUSE NATIVE TO THE KOOTENAY REGION, PERCHES ATOP A RIM RINGED WITH ELABORATE SILVER AND COPPER DESIGNS INSPIRED BY FIRST NATIONS SCULPTURE AND BASKETRY. THE FRONT OF THE VASE IS ADORNED IN GOLD WITH THE BRITISH COLUMBIA COAT OF ARMS. BELOW THIS IS A STYLIZED COPPER CROSS, TRIMMED WITH A SILVER INSCRIPTION DESIGNATING THE LONGITUDE AND LATITUDE OF THE MOUNTAIN STREAM STILL KNOWN AS PAULDING CREEK. THE BASE OF THE VASE FEATURES DESIGNS REMINISCENT OF APACHE BASKETRY, AND THE UNDERSIDE IS INSCRIBED WITH THE NAMES OF THE FIVE PRINCIPLE NEW YORK BASED MASTER CRAFTSMEN (HANNWEBER, SWAMBY, THOMA, BARKER AND SPENGLER) WHO WORKED WITH FARNHAM AT TIFFANY'S