Beschreibung:

Property from a Private Collection, MassachusettsKem Weber"Today" Vase
circa 1928produced by the Friedman Silver Company, Brooklyn, New Yorkelectro-plated nickel silverimpressed TODAY/Kem Weber/DESIGN/J F with the silver mark/E.P.N.S./1E4/D with the silver and maker's marks13¼ in. (34 cm) high3⅝ in. (9.2 cm) diameterCondition reportOverall in very good condition. The silver surfaces present with extremely minute surface scratches and scuffing throughout consistent with gentle handling, as well as occasional and scattered impressions to the metal which are not visible unless closely inspected. The plating with some very light and occasional discoloration consistent with age and the natural evolution of the medium. The base of the column with a faint line of residue measuring approximately 2 in., not visually distracting. The inside of the vase and underside of the base with more pronounced discoloration and oxidation throughout. A beautifully modern form in well preserved condition.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colors and shades which are different to the lot's actual color and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation. The condition report is a statement of opinion only. For that reason, the condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS ONLINE CONDITION REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE/BUSINESS APPLICABLE TO THE RESPECTIVE SALE.LiteratureStudio Yearbook of Decorative Arts, 1931, p. 156 (for related models)
Bevis Hillier, The World of Art Deco, New York, 1971, p. 77 (for the model in the collection of Mrs. Kem Weber
J. Stewart Johnson, American Modern 1925-1940: Design for a New Age, New York, 2000, pp. 2 and 50 (for the model in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Jewel Stern, Modernism in American Silver: 20th-Century Design, New Haven, 2005, pp. 54, 62, 64, 89, 107, 148 and 345
John Stuart Gordon  A Modern World: American Design from the Yale University Art Gallery, 1920-1950, New Haven, 2011, p. 159 (for the model in the John C. Waddell Collection, promised gift to Yale University Art Gallery)
Christopher Long, Kem Weber Designer and Architect, New Haven, 2014, pp. 81-83Catalogue note
Kem Weber designed this vase for the Friedman Silver Company in Brooklyn, New York, in 1928. Weber, who was then living and working in Los Angeles, went to New York in January 1928 to make arrangements for his display of interiors (a full six-room apartment) at the Macy’s “International Exposition of Art in Industry,” slated to open in the late spring of that year. While there, he met with the managers of Friedman’s. After returning to California, he produced two lines of silver-plated housewares for the company, “Silver Style,” with telescoping forms, and “To-day,” with reeded bases. Most, if not all, of the extant pieces from the two lines appear to have been executed in 1928 or 1929.
This vase, from the “Silver Style” line, is a rare example, erroneously stamped with a “To-day” mark. The “Silver Style” line included several other designs, including a cocktail shaker, a four-piece tea set, a “bread or cake stand,” a butter dish, a fruit bowl, a covered vegetable dish, a bon-bon dish, a flower basket, and another, squat vase with a wider base. The Weber archive at the University of California, Santa Barbara, preserves photographs of these pieces. It is unclear, however, whether all were put into production; the photographed examples in some instances may merely be prototypes.
Weber included some of the Friedman pieces in an exhibit of his work at the California Art Club in 1929. A review noted that “fifteen pieces” were then on the market (though without specifying which), with others forthcoming. No other designs from the company appeared, however. It is uncertain whether Friedman, possibly disappointed with sales, suspended production, or whether there were other reasons. The onset of the Great Depression at the end of 1929 probably played some role in Friedman’s decision to stop making the designs; it is also possible that Weber’s pieces were too far in advance of public taste.
     - Christopher Long