Stavre Gregor Panis Pair of Sterling Silver Salt Dishes, Falmouth, Massachusetts, c. 1930's

A beautiful and rare form, these arts & crafts salt dishes are hand-raised with round bowls with smooth surfaces. An applied circular band creates the feet. The handles to the salt dishes are beautiful examples of pierce work. For each of the individual piercings, a silversmith needs to drill a hole and then using fine saw blades cut out the specific design. Incorporated into the floral scenes are 'S' initials. I'm sure this was for the surname of the original owner but we find it apropos for salt cellars.

Panis is known for his floral pierced silver jewelry and these are wonderful examples of his famous style and technique in holloware. Stavre Gregor Panis is listed in The Society of Arts & Crafts, Boston Exhibition Record 1897-1927 by Karen Evans Ulehla. He is listed as a 'Jeweler' and Craftsman member of the Society of Arts & Crafts, Boston from 1925-27 and exhibited in 1927 (p. 166).

According to Affirmation and Rediscovery a Centennial Exhibition and Sale, 'Stavre Gregor Panis was born in Dadha, Alabama (actually Dardha, Albania) in Eastern Europe in 1889... He moved to the United States in 1905 and made his way to Boston. He was a jeweler, silversmith and enameler.

Panis moved to Falmouth, Massachusetts and opened his own shop in 1932 with his wife and fellow art student Gladys Hamilton. He had studied at the Massachusetts School of Art after serving in the Army stationed in France during World War I' (p. 34). These stunning salts are stamped underneath 'SGP' within a triangle and 'STERLING'. They measure 4 inches long by 2.25 wide by just under 1 inch high, weigh a combined 6.20 troy ounces and are in excellent antique condition.