Mid-Century Modern Hand-Wrought Sterling Silver Bowl by Allan Adler

This elegant sterling silver and walnut coffee set was realized by the legendary designer Allan Adler in the United States circa 1950. The set features a coffee pot, sugar bowl and spoon, and creamer. Created in sterling silver, this set showcases Allan Adler's signature aesthetic- a kind of traditional modernism applying a pared down minimalist perspective to classical design elements. Here the silhouettes of the pieces look traditional but feature idiosyncratic details that clearly indicate their modernism- as fresh looking today as when it was made. The hand rubbed walnut handles are hewn in an amorphic shape that flares asymmetrically at its end. It is inescapably a modern form. It is pared, however, with historical language (from Art Nouveau for instance) that roots the pieces in a more traditionalist place. They feature stylized vine motifs on the finial of the coffee pot top and leaf motifs that trace the circular bases. The protuberant bodies created in lustrous sterling salver taper at each end. This is an outstanding example of Adler's practice that represents his inimitable aesthetic at its very best. It is sure to delight collectors of his work, as well as those with a penchant for beautifully crafted and special objects. It is signed "Adler Sterling" on the base and is in excellent vintage condition. Adler began his career as an apprentice in 1938, designing silverware and inspired by the design of the early 1900s specifically Art Nouveau. His name became associated with Hollywood glamour in the early 1940s. he was commissioned to design mini-Oscars for Academy Award winners, crowns for Miss Universe and Miss USA, and silver bowls and candlesticks for celebrities and dignitaries. During John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign, Adler was commissioned to create a silver coffee urn...

This elegant sterling silver dish was realized in the United States. It features an austere concave form with angled sides and a beaded border. With its clean modernist lines and bea...

Pair of Allan Adler sterling silver salt and pepper shakers in Mid-Century Modern style, with an elegant, geometric design. They measure 1 1/2'' in height by 1 1/2'' in depth by 1 1/...

Allan W. Adler (May 8, 1916 – December 3, 2002) His clean, unadorned and well-crafted style was strongly influenced by the traditional work of early American silversmiths and the contemporary work then being done in the Northern European countries of Denmark, Sweden and Norway. It was a unique and one-of-a-kind style of silversmithing. Adler was an American silversmith, known as "silversmith to the stars". Beginning his career as an apprentice in 1938, Adler designed silverware and hollowware in shapes inspired by the Modernist art movement of the early 1900s. Adler learned the craft of silversmithing from noted 5th generation silversmith Porter Blanchard, one of the founders of the Arts and Crafts movement in California. His name became associated with Hollywood glamour in the early 1940s, and he was commissioned to design mini-Oscars for Academy Award winners, crowns for Miss Universe and Miss USA, and silver bowls, candlesticks and goblets for celebrity clients including commissions for Micheal Jackson, Paul Newman, Presidents, and Astronauts. During John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign, Adler crafted a silver coffee urn...