The Kalo Shops Pair of Arts & Crafts Sterling Silver Covered Entrée or Vegetable Servers, Chicago, IL, 1912-16

This spectacular pair of covered serving dishes is very rare. The oval bodies have an attached stepped spreading foot. Unusual rims are attached to the bowls. They are wide, flat surface with a rolled edge border. These rims emphasize the strong horizontal aspect of the design, an important component of the 'Prairie' school of architecture, popular in Chicago at the time.

Shaped handles with triangular ends are attached to the fitted domed covers. A lovely 'V' monogram is applied to the covers. (I say it is for vegetables.) Lovely hammering covers all the surface areas.

The Kalo Shop is known for its hammered surfaces and creative, forward looking arts & crafts designs. It was started by Clara Barck Welles who was 'known for her fair employment practices and for giving opportunities to women to become metalsmiths'.1

These stunning serving dishes are marked 'STERLING/ HAND WROUGHT/ AT/ THE KALO SHOPS/ CHICAGO/ AND/ NEW YORK/ 393/ M'. They measures 12 inches long by 8.25 inches deep by 6.5 inches high, weigh a combined 81.65 troy ounces and are in excellent antique condition.

Endnote:

1. Sharon S. Darling, Chicago Metalsmiths, (Chicago: Chicago Historical Society, 1977), p. 48.