Yes, That Is a Bird on the Roof at Tiffany & Co.
It is highly likely, if you are visiting New York City during the holiday season, that you will eventually find yourself on the corner of 57th and Fifth. If you do, we have some advice: stop on the southwest corner and look up. What is that illuminated passerine in the night sky? Is it a bird? A plane? Actually, someone might whisper in your ear, it’s a Bird on A Rock.
And what exactly is a Bird on a Rock? “First introduced in 1965 by legendary designer Jean Schlumberger, the Bird on a Rock brooch is Tiffany & Co.’s most emblematic creation,” Tiffany CEO Anthony Ledru tells T&C, “exemplifying the wonder, joy, and timeless allure that has defined the house for nearly 200 years. Today, the Bird on a Rock upholds its position as one of the world’s most celebrated jewels and we take great pride in celebrating and creating new expressions for the iconic design.”
You might have seen Bird on a Rock on the red carpet—most recently on Lady Gaga, Jeremy Allen White, Michael B. Jordan, Florence Pugh, and Emily Blunt—but this is the first year you can see one fully illuminated in the New York night sky. There it sits, on the terrace of the 8th floor of the Tiffany Landmark, greeting shoppers as they ply their way. (Tiffany VIP clients sometimes get the chance to get up close and personal with the bird.)
Like all Bird on a Rock pieces, this one, too, is handcrafted with meticulous care. It took 25 artisans, including metal workers, electrical engineers, and designers, more than five months to create it. It was made in Italy by Mariano Light, established in 1898. This Bird on a Rock statue is made of 3,156 meters of micro LED light strings, and about 47,340 lights. Also, it moves! Watch it as it tilts its head from left to right, turns it tails left to right, opens its wings, and even winks at you thanks to an RGB light hidden behind the crystal eye.
Tiffany & Co. holiday decorations have always been a point of pride for the house—the whimsical and clever holiday windows of legendary designer Gene Moore particularly—but the Bird on a Rock lighting up Fifth Avenue is on track to become not only a Tiffany tradition, but a new New York one. And though the Bird on a Rock statue might not fit on your lapel, there is a Bird on a Rock brooch (specifically, sitting on an enormous aquamarine) on the first floor just waiting for you.
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