Return to story

Precious metals on display

September 22, 2005 1:06 am

By SHEILA WICKOUSKI

For THE FREE LANCE-STAR

Once upon a time, there was a precious metal called silver. Not as rare as gold, and to some eyes not as gaudy, silver was alluring to craftsmen and decorative artists alike.

Because of its shine, silver easily reflected colors and materials in a way that other metals did not. Silver was practical--it could be fashioned into a variety of items from tableware to special objects such as jewelry, cigarette cases and objects of art.

Like gold, silver signified riches, and yet it was a luxury that even the middle class could boast of possessing.

Silver was mined for centuries, but most of the world's silver production occurred after America was discovered.

Major discoveries and technological innovation led to great increases in the availability of the metal and helped America become the leader in the silverware industry by the mid-19th century.

Silver's popularity had waned by the end of the 20th century. Purchases of sterling flatware had declined by nearly 50 percent as stainless steel became the material of choice.

"Modernism in American Silver: 20th-Century Design," an exhibit at the Renwick Gallery in Washington, tells the story of what happened in be-tween.

Organized by the Dallas Museum of Art, noted for its outstanding collection of modernist silver, the display of 200 silver pieces is also a story of the decorative arts in the 20th century.

The shrinking silver market of the 1920s and the stress of the Great Depression of the 1930s led to the use of less expensive materials for tableware. Chromium-plated metal and aluminum became popular.

To attract new customers, silver manufacturers turned to designs reflecting contemporary fashion and innovations in the arts and architecture.

Danish silver from Georg Jensen, with its organically curved natural forms, was growing in appeal. Elegant Scandinavian aesthetics seen in the works of Danish silversmith Erik Magnussen and Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen also influenced American silverware.

In addition, the Cubism of Picasso and Braque, the sleek lines of the skyscraper and the streamlined futurist appearance of speed in trains, automobiles and airplanes all led to contemporary designs in tea sets and cocktail shakers, candlesticks and flower vases.

America changed economically from rural to urban and shifted from single-family homes to apartments with less storage and display space. Women who once stayed home and had time to polish silver had entered the work force and wanted casual dining with labor-saving equipment.

Silver makers added plastic handles and ceramic or glass liners, and they created versatile pitchers and dishes.

Regardless of these adaptations, stainless steel, glass, plastic, wood and ceramic were clearly winning over the formal traditions of silver by the 1960s. These materials were easier to clean and more in keeping with the casual disposability of things that came with modern life-styles.

While many silver manufacturers had gone out of business by the 1980s and 1990s, others sought out architects and fashion designers to create objects that would attract highly sophisticated consumers.

What the 21st century will bring for this industry is beyond the scope of a museum exhibit but interesting to speculate about.

Perhaps a clue is in one of the most fantastic pieces in the show, from International Silver Co.'s "Moon Room" at the 1964 World's Fair in New York. The "Celestial Centerpiece," embellished with more than 100 brilliant sapphires set in silver, concludes this fascinating exhibit.

An interesting contrast is a small but precious show at Washington's Arthur M. Sackler Gallery: "Gold--The Asian Touch." The exhibit of 47 objects fills only two rooms, but then, all the gold ever mined would not fill a space as large as the bottom third of the Washington Monument.

The 47 luxurious objects on display are grouped by the methods of working with the rare material, which gives the viewer a chance to compare the context and times of the use of gold in different Asian cultures.

Once possessed by wealthy patrons, this collection of coins, jewelry, decorative porcelain bowls, calligraphy, painting, bookbinding and carved boxes is a rich one to behold.