Porter Blanchard 'Lotus' Pattern Sterling Silver Serving Platter crafted by Richard Blanchard, c. 1927-30

This large sterling silver platter is in the rare 'Lotus' pattern and made by Richard Blanchard working with his brother Porter Blanchard in Burbank, California. Rectangular in shape, it is designed with a raised edge, rounded corners and a shaped edge with incised, lotus design lines and beautiful hammering. This rare platter is a large and striking example of arts & crafts silver.

Richard Blanchard and his brother Porter learned their trade from their father, George Porter Blanchard (who worked for Arthur Stone from 1906-09) in Gardner, Mass.  The brothers were Members of the Society of Arts & Crafts, Boston where Richard is listed as a Craftsman 1913-16 and Master Craftsman Society, from 1917-18 and 1920-21 (The Society of Arts & Crafts, Boston Exhibition Record, 1897-1927, p. 31).

In 1923, Porter Blanchard moved to Burbank, California and was joined in 1925 by his brother and father.  Richard worked in the Burbank shop until 1930. Working a relatively short period in Burbank, examples of Richard Blanchard silver are quite rare and this is a great example in a lovely design which exhibits the level and skill of a great silversmith. (See: "Richard Blanchard: Twentieth-Century Maker of Handwrought Silver" by Pansylea Howard Willburn in Silver Magazine July/August 2001 for more information.)

This beautiful sterling silver platter is marked underneath with the shop's trademark which is the profile of a silversmith at work inside a square. It is also stamped 'HANDMADE/ STERLING/ PORTER BLANCHARD'.  A stamped 'R' inside a square designates the piece as being by Richard Blanchard. It measures 18 inches long by 13.75 inches wide by 1.5 inches high.  It weighs an impressive 50.25 troy ounces and is in very good antique condition with a lot of scratches from use to the interior. It was obviously well used as a meat serving platter and we prefer the old surface to a new, buffed and refinished one.

Our price: $3,800.00

Item code: L62