Avon bowl

Adapted from a glass bowl that Stone had studied at Shakespeare’s house in Stratford-upon-Avon, this so-called Avon design was based on the form of an ancient drinking vessel and was offered in various sizes and modified forms (fig. 10). Stone used the snarling technique to alter the encircling band into an alternating raised and hollow reverse fluting. The first Avon bowl was made of 95 percent silver, at the client’s request. All others were of the stronger .925 sterling composition. According to Herman Glendenning, this bowl was raised by Herbert Taylor and chased by Stone about 1926. It is thus one of the last works he chased before suffering a debilitating stroke in the fall of that year.

This text has been adapted from "Silver of the Americas, 1600-2000," edited by Jeannine Falino and Gerald W.R. Ward, published in 2008 by the MFA. Complete references can be found in that publication.