last seen in Chinese customs, now missing and presumed stolen
In terms of construction, this is, not alas a first rate object. The edges don't quite meet up flush, the hinge is on the exterior rather than integral, and there are also a few minor bits of waviness on the front and side panels...
STOLEN, REWARD FOR RETURN OR INFO LEADING TO CONVICTION
Kerr, a famous Newark jewelry and silver manufacturer of the early twentieth century, was noted for excellence of design...
P.O.R.
This spoon is not monogrammed and does not appear ever to have been, which is most unusual for early American silver.
Over the years, I've examined many pieces of Martelé, and if you dear reader will forgive me for a bit of crudeness, most of them are "trashed." Specifically, the detail is severely worn away, leaving the beauty of the overall design still appreciable but no longer intact...
This is a grand tea tray, fully two feet (exclusive of handles) by sixteen inches. I was tempted to include a foot, a baby or a small dog for scale, but judged the former to be in poor taste and could not furnish either of the latter. Buy it now, and watch the value increase as world order ceases to function!
A similar example, held by the Art Institute of Chicago, is shown in Chickering, plate 52; page 111.
A William C. Codman design, identical examples may be found in both the Jolie and Robert Shelton Collection, "Magnificent, Marvelous Martelé," pp. 498-9 and the MFA Boston, accession number 2001.804
For related items by this maker, see Forbes figure 61c and Chait number 251. This is the first China Trade strainer spoon we've encountered in the course of twenty eight years...
What sets this item apart from other examples which have recently been on the market is, simply stated, condition. Not only are the floral decorations crisp and untouched by polishing wear, but their gentle background of chasing marks remains (see third photo), creating an effect of kumatage, as if the decorations were suspended in a pool of rippling water...
On Hold
If pressed as to why you, dear reader, should buy these Iris fish forks as opposed to some others listed elsewhere on the interwebz, I'd have to say that ours are probably in better condition. If pressed even harder, I'd confess that these are also attractively priced.
One factor which ultimately contributed to the demise of his firm was that George Shiebler's best designs were difficult to execute and costly to produce. Not many of these forks were made, and the surviving examples vary in quality and condition...
This lovely example is entirely hand wrought, and dates from 1948...
Compare on the Big Bad Auction Site (item 351377957222) @1250.00
If only we knew a bit more about Minnie, a good tale might be told, but alas we know nothing of this lass.
Even without the exquisitely engraved blade this would have been a rare find, so we're doubly pleased. Note: although this server is hollow handled, we do not believe it to be weighted.