American Arts & Crafts sterling beaker, Franklin Porter

Danvers, MA circa 1930, height 3 1/4; top diameter 2 5/8 inches, weight 5.75 Troy ounces, no monogram, some very light scratches but excellent overall condition.

Though his work is ardently sought by collectors, Porter's output was not always of consistent quality. His soldering was occasionally sloppy, and his hammer marks were at times random. Here, the seams are nearly invisible, and the art peen hammering (please see third enlargement) is laid out masterfully along the vertical axis.

Over the years, we've handled many items by Mr. Porter. This one is clearly the finest.