Unlike other handguns known to have been custom-decorated by Tiffany & Co., this revolver does not appear to have been designed for display in one of the the great world's fairs, but intended for the personal use of the American railroad magnate George Jay Gould (1864–1923), whose initials may be seen on a cartouche behind the hammer, and on the lid of the companion case. The revolver is exceptional in having a grip sheathed in etched and engraved sterling silver adorned with plaques of carved ivory, as well as the exterior of its main steel parts silvered overall. It is a spectacular representative of Tiffany's "Saracenic" works in silver, the ornamentation of which was inspired by Islamic architecture and objects.

Reproduced by permission of the Metropolitan Museum of Art