Arthur Stone Sterling Silver Creamer and Covered Sugar Bowl, Gardner, MA, 1932, bearing the arms of George Dudley Seymour

Based on colonial forms, this lovely creamer and sugar set is executed in a large scale. The graceful curves and hammered surface for which Stone's work is so admired make this set quite attractive, especially the sugar bowl with its original cover. These pieces were hand-raised by Herman W. Glendenning, one of the leading silversmiths at the Arthur Stone shop. Wonderfully engraved armorial devices and initials decorate the three pieces. Initialed 'GDS' for George Dudley Seymour, the base of the sugar bowl is engraved with an hour glass with wings at the top above a shield with two pairs of wings and two field plows above a banner with the motto 'SPEED THE PLOW'. The cover is engraved with a circle containing an hour glass with wings above an 'S' initial. The creamer is engraved with a plow above a vertically lined shield with a pair of wings above the motto and 'GDS' initials.

During the 1920's and 30's, George Dudley Seymour was Stone's best client. A successful New Haven lawyer, Seymour was an antiquarian, collector and patron of the arts. He commissioned many pieces from Stone's shop; some were gifts to Yale University, others for personal use. He was a significant benefactor to the Wadsworth Athenaeum and the Connecticut Historical Society, which received his important early Connecticut furniture collection as a gift. This creamer and sugar were clearly commissioned due to their unusual size. (For more information about Seymour and his silver, see Arthur J. Stone 1847-1938 Designer and Silversmith by Elenita Chickering.)

This wonderful and rare sterling silver set is marked underneath with Stone's impressed hammer mark along with 'STERLING/ G'. This trademark was used from 1910 -37. The 'G' denotes work by Glendenning who achieved 'Master Craftsman' status from the Society of Arts & Crafts, Boston. He worked at the Stone shop from 1920-36 (see Arthur J. Stone 1847-1938 Designer and Silversmith by Elenita Chickering, pp 180-181). The creamer and sugar measure 6 and 6.5 inches high respectively, weigh a combined 29.70 troy ounces and are in excellent antique condition.