Frank W. Smith Silver Co. Mid-Century Modern Sterling Silver Tea or Coffee Set, Gardner, MA, c. 1950

This wonderful tea or coffee set is uniquely designed with lovely shapes and innovative styles.

Bold, applied bases of deep, horizontal reeding add a wonderful contrast to the plain surfaces of the pieces. The bodies of the sugar bowl and creamer have wonderful handles hanging down from where they are attached at the top. The spout of the creamer mimics the spout of the teapot. The teardrop-shaped pot is a stunning example of modern silver along with a crescent-shaped, dark wood finial and curved wood handle. The highly reflective surfaces display their surroundings with rounded mirror-like qualities.

The Frank Smith Silver Co., of Gardner, MA, was known for their high-quality silver, with several of their best silversmiths becoming employees at the leading arts & crafts firms of Arthur Stone of Gardner and George Gebelein of Boston. (Stone was the shop superintendent at Frank Smith before opening his own shop.) Almost all of Frank Smith's silver is in a traditional style - this coffee or tea service being a scarce example of their modernist designs.

This rare modern tea set is marked underneath with Frank Smith's trademark and 'STERLING/ 725.' The pot measures 8.25 inches tall, and none of the pieces have ever been monogrammed. The set has a combined weight of 34.95 troy ounces and is in excellent condition.