Tiffany & Co. (American, founded 1837)
Angels of the Liturgy, 1942
Gilt and silvered metal plaque in walnut case, velvet-lined interior
Dimensions: 10 × 17 × 11 in.
Crafted during the Second World War, this finely worked plaque features eleven angels in procession, each carrying instruments of the Catholic Mass. The work was presented as a gift to Thomas G. Hagerty, a Brooklyn-based Catholic priest, and housed in a custom walnut case stamped by the maker, Tiffany & Co.
The outer inscription, drawn from Proverbs 27, reads:
“Qui custos est domini sui glorificabitur” — “He that is the keeper of his master shall be glorified.”
A second inscription, beneath the plaque, comes from a reflection on Christ as Redeemer, traditionally attributed to the Apostle Paul:
“Victima sacerdotii sui et sacerdos victima sua” — “He is the priest and the victim of his own sacrifice.”
Both statements underscore the dual role of priest and servant, uniting fidelity and atonement in a single theological message.
