Towle Co. 1890 Edwardian Art Nouveau Octagonal Centerpiece Tray In 925 Sterling Silver
An art nouveau centerpiece designed by Towle & Co.
Beautiful highly elaborated piece, created in the United States by the silversmiths makers Towle & Company back in the end of the 19th century, circa 1895. This fabulous octagonal tray was crafted during the early Edwardian period with art nouveau and neoclassical patterns in solid sterling silver of .925/.999 with very high polished finish. The octagonal tray stand in a rounded pedestal decorated with classical motifs, chiseled in low and high relief and with a fine bright cut decoration along the rim.
Decorated on four sides in high relief, with stations with tassels and semi-dressed nymphs dancing. The design of this piece is extremely interesting as it brings together various artistic movements such as the Art Nouveau, the Edwardian and the American Neoclassical.
Weight: 605 Grams (387 Dwt), (19.39 Troy ounces).
Measurements: 329 mm by 375 mm by 120 mm (12.95 x 12.95 x 1.85 Inches).
Hallmarks: Stamped with the maker's mark cartouche of a rampant lion holding a T associated to Towle & Co, the model numbers and signed, "T STERLING 3881 M1266".
Towle Silversmiths is one of America's oldest, most respected brands, the Towle™ Silversmiths name dates back to a small colonial silversmith in 1690 in Massachusetts but was officially founded as a company in 1857 as Towle & Jones by Anthony Francis Towle and William P. Jones, two apprentices to the Moulton family of silversmiths. In 1873 it became A.F. Towle & Son, and then in 1882, Anthony Francis Towle, while still owning A.F. Towle & Son, established the Towle Manufacturing Co. In 1890, the company adopted the trademark of a large script "T" enclosing a lion. Richard Dimes, an English silversmith who had immigrated to the U.S. in 1881, started Towle's hollowware line. Dimes, who also worked for the Frank W. Smith Silver Co., would eventually establish his own company, Richard Dimes Co., in Boston. Eventually the company's name was changed to Towle Silversmiths.
Over the years, Towle has created numerous sterling silver flatware patterns in the United States: including the "Candlelight" in 1934, the "Marie Louise" in 1939 which became the official sterling silver pattern for U.S. embassies worldwide, "Old Master" in 1942, now considered by some to be the company’s flagship pattern, and the "Contour" in 1950 (designed by Robert J. King, patented by John Van Koert) which was the first American sterling pattern to manifest post-World War II organic modernist design and the only production-line American flatware included in the Museum of Modern Art's Good Design exhibitions. In 1990, Towle Silversmiths was acquired by the holding company Syratech Inc., that also owned Wallace Silversmiths and the International Silver Company In 2006, Lifetime Brands Inc. purchased Syratech Inc., thereby acquiring all three brands.
Note: American silverware pieces like this one, with these dimensions, quality and grade of preservation are very rare and unusual. This is a very decorative one that adds a great touch to any environment in the home
Condition: The overall condition of this center tray is very Good clean condition, with no monograms or erasures. Beside the little normal wear, there is no damage to the sterling silver. This piece has been carefully inspected to guarantee the condition and the authenticity. Recently polished with great splendor.
INVENTORY REF: D081322FTOM/.1111
