Large Frank W Smith Chippendale Sterling Silver Tray with Piecrust Rim

646-863-5416 Sale Price: $7,200.00 Stock #BR827 click to view additional pictures Large Frank W Smith Chippendale Sterling Silver Tray with Piecrust Rim click to view larger pictures Tweet Sale Price: $7,200.00 Make an Offer Large Frank W Smith Chippendale Sterling Silver Tray with Piecrust Rim This tray represents Georgian-style serving silver at its most substantial — a broad, hand-finished round tray from one of New England’s most respected silver houses, carrying a rim design with roots stretching back two centuries before it was made. A Frank W. Smith Original Frank Wyman Smith trained under his uncle, William B. Durgin, one of Concord, New Hampshire’s most respected silver manufacturers, before striking out on his own in 1886 with a small silversmithing shop in Gardner, Massachusetts. The business grew quickly, and by 1892 Smith had built the brick factory on Chestnut Street that still stands today and remains listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Frank W. Smith Silver Co. built its reputation on consistent, high-quality flatware and hollowware rather than novelty. Its Marie Louise flatware pattern was placed in United States embassies around the world, and in 1906 the firm was commissioned to produce the silver service for the battleship USS Louisiana. The company continued producing sterling under the Smith name until 1958; afterward, like many independent silver houses of the era, its dies and pattern rights were absorbed by larger manufacturers. Why “Chippendale,” and Why the Rim Matters The piecrust rim on this tray carries a name that’s a bit of a historical shorthand. English silversmiths were already making salvers and waiters with raised, scalloped piecrust rims by the 1730s — the shape kept cards, letters, or coins from sliding off a flat serving surface. Around the same period, furniture designer Thomas Chippendale built much of his reputation on a similar rim, most famously on small tripod tea tables with a molded, scalloped edge carved to resemble the crimped border of a pastry crust. Chippendale’s name became so closely tied to that rococo-Georgian look that by the time American silver houses were reviving the style in the early-to-mid 20th century, “Chippendale” had simply become the term for this rim profile — on furniture and silver alike. It’s a fitting name for a pattern built around one instantly recognizable curve: the molded, curvilinear ogee-arch edge you see on this tray. How a Tray Like This Was Used At under an inch tall, this is a flat serving tray, without feet or handles — built for practical hosting rather than formal display alone. In a well-appointed dining room or parlor, a tray this size would carry a full tea or coffee service, hold drinks at a gathering, or simply sit ready on a sideboard for whatever the evening called for. Unlike the footed salvers common to 18th-century English silver, this is a distinctly usable, everyday-elegant object — meant to be picked up, carried, and set down, not just admired from across the room. The Piece Itself This example is fully marked with Frank W. Smith’s maker’s stamp, the Chippendale pattern name, and design number 218 — the marks a collector should look for to confirm both maker and pattern. At 16 inches across and 42.5 troy ounces, it’s a genuinely large, substantial piece of sterling; you’ll feel the weight the moment you pick it up. It’s in very good condition, consistent with careful use and care over the decades rather than display-only storage. Living With It Sterling like this rewards use. A light hand-wash after use, an occasional polish with a proper silver polish (never anything abrasive), and storage away from rubber, wool, or high humidity will keep the piece bright for another lifetime of service. Trays like this one work just as well on a modern sideboard or bar cart as they did in a 1940s dining room — a large, flat piecrust tray is genuinely one of the more versatile pieces of antique silver you can own. A Note From Steve I look for pieces like this one because the design still holds up — the Chippendale rim is as handsome today as it was when Frank Smith’s shop first cast it. Every piece I sell comes with my personal guarantee of authenticity, and I’m always happy to talk through a piece’s history or condition before you buy. If you have questions about this tray, sterling holloware trays if you’re comparing options. Dimensions: H 7/8 x D 16 in. Weight: 42.5 troy ounces. #BR827

估價:$7,200

查看所有物品來自Nelson & Nelson Antiques或Silver & Gold