Nubia Modernist Sterling Silver Necklace by Mary Ann Scherr for Reed and Barton

View Similar Items

Reed And Barton Sterling Silver Small Plate

Reed & Barton Francis I Sterling Silver Teapot

English Provincial by Reed and Barton Sterling Silver Flatware Set for 8 Service

Diadem by Reed and Barton Sterling Silver Flatware Set for 6 Service 24 Pieces

Tara by Reed and Barton Sterling Silver Flatware Set for 8 Service 56 Pieces

Tara by Reed and Barton Sterling Silver Flatware Set For 8 Service 49 Pieces

Burgundy by Reed and Barton Sterling Silver Flatware Set for 8 Service 36 Pieces

Tara by Reed and Barton Sterling Silver Flatware Set for 8 Service 44 Pieces

Marlborough by Reed and Barton Sterling Silver Flatware Set for 8 Service 36 Pcs

American Sterling Silver Canteen of Cutlery for Six Persons by Reed and Barton

Sterling Tea Service Designed by Gio Ponti for Reed and Barton

Reed & Barton Francis i Sterling Silver Round Bowl

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 10

Nubia Modernist Sterling Silver Necklace by Mary Ann Scherr for Reed and Barton

About the Item

Mary Ann Scherr designed this modernist necklace as part of the Signature V Collection in 1975 for Reed & Barton. In addition to Mary Ann Scherr's works, the collection included pieces by Arline Fisch, Glenda Arentzen, Ronald Hayes Pearson, and Lynda Watson and epitomizes top design sense of the mid-1970s. Reed & Barton marketed this necklace in the 1970s as a the “Nubia Neckpiece.” They described it in their sales pamphlet as: “a shimmering disc of silver delicately etched with 24-karat. Gold electroplate hangs suspended from an elegant band of solid looping silver" and retailed it for $200. In an 2001 interview with Mary Douglas of the Mint Museum of Craft and Design in Charlotte, N.C., Mary Ann Scherr recalls: “In 1975, I was a participant in the Reed & Barton’s, Signature Five national sales promotion [Reed & Barton, Silversmith Company, in Massachusetts]. They commissioned five metal-smiths to design prototypes, which then would be copied and fabricated by their in-house artisans. These copies were then sold in major stores as the “Signature Five Collection.” From a series of drawings, the designs were selected and the prototype fabricated by the designer. This is a designer dream world.” (Oral history interview with Mary Ann Scherr, 2001 April 6-7, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution). This particular necklace was deaccessioned from the Reed & Barton Archives. Remarkably, it has never been privately owned in the last 40 years. It is constructed of solid sterling silver, and the central medallion is washed with gold. The reverse bears marks for Reed & Barton, Sterling, and an artist mark for Mary Ann Scherr. Measurements: Length: circa 11 1/2 in. Width: circa 6 1/4 in. Medallion width: circa 2 in. Items purchased from David Sterner antiques must delight you. Purchases may be returned for any reason for a period of seven days.

Creator:
Mary Ann Scherr (Designer),Reed & Barton (Manufacturer)
Dimensions:
Height: 11.5 in (29.21 cm)Width: 6.25 in (15.88 cm)Depth: 0.25 in (6.35 mm)
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Sterling Silver
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
1970-1979
Date of Manufacture:
1970s
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Philadelphia, PA
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU161025990193