International Silver Company 'Ebb Tide' Modern Sterling Silver Bowl designed by Alfred Kintz, Meriden, CT, c. 1928

This is a striking bowl in a famous design by a great designer.

The outside edge of the bowl has a 4-level design with small and larger pointed protrusions. The body is a cascading design of horizontal planes. The effect is a lovely multi-reflective surface to the interior and exterior of the bowl.

The base is a flaring pedestal decorated with the same design as the rim.

Relatively unknown but important American silver designer Alfred G. Kintz began working at International silver around 1910 and retired in 1959. There is not much in the literature on Alfred Kintz except an excellent article: "Alfred G. Kintz: An American Designer" by Patricia F. Singer, in Silver Magazine, (September/October 1986, pp. 14-19).

Kintz created many important flatware designs including Prelude and Royal Danish, two of the best selling flatware patterns of the 20th century. In 1928, he introduced 3 famous art deco designs and patented Ebb Tide in 1928. In addition to his design duties, Kintz was promoted in 1946 to manager of all International's holloware production.

'Ebb Tide' is an important Kintz design, one of three modern designs from 1928 in the Spirit of Today series. (The others were 'Tropical Sunrise' and 'Northern Lights'.) At Macy's seminal 1928 International Exposition of Art in Industry, an 'Ebb Tide' bowl similar to this was exhibited. (See Jewel Stern, Modernism in American Silver, pp. 43-44.)

This delightful bowl is marked underneath 'INTERNATIONAL/ STERLING/ T104/ Patent Pending'. It also bears the Simpson, Hall, & Miller mark (one of the original companies that created International Silver). It measures 10 inches in diameter by 4.25 inches high, weighs 13.75 troy ounces, has never been engraved and is in very good antique condition.