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D9103
It is uncommon to find great examples of American art deco silver, especially accompanied by their servers. This beautiful sterling serving bowl is designed with five plain panels separated by narrow vertical strips with cast and applied decoration of oranges, which extend slightly beyond the top of the bowl. A circular ring forms the foot of the bowl. One panel is beautifully engraved with a period 'JBF' monogram. Designed for the 1939-40 New York World's Fair these art deco pieces were made shortly after.
The serving fork and spoon, which retain their original gilding on the front and back of the bowls, are decorated with the dramatic art deco oranges strips that match the bowl. The backs of the servers have a feather design and a circular cartouche which has never been monogrammed.
Initially designed for Tiffany & Co's display at the 1939-40 New York World's Fair by Charles B. Blake, this set is an excellent example of American art deco design. Placed into commercial production by Tiffany, this set was made during the Second World War. The depression and the war wreaked havoc on the market for luxury goods, and art deco pieces in American silver are quite rare. This pattern is sometimes referred to as 'Deco Tomato' in the mistaken belief that the oranges depicted are actually tomatoes.
The serving pieces are marked 'TIFFANY & Co/ STERLING/ PAT/ m'. They measure 9.75 inches long and weigh a combined 8.55 troy ounces. They are in excellent condition with very slight loss to the gilding on the backs of the servers where the bowls rest on a table. The bowl is marked 'TIFFANY & Co/ MAKERS/ STERLING SILVER/ 22888/ m/ *'. According to Tiffany Silver by Carpenter, ”This mark with the star was used on silverware made of domestically produced silver placed on sale April 17, 1943” (p. 252) and was used until 1945 when war rations ended. As seen in the picture, the underside is engraved with a series of numbers most likely for insurance purposes by a previous owner. The bowl measures 9.25 inches round by 3.5 inches high and weighs 27.80 troy ounces and is in excellent antique condition.
