F. Novick Chicago Arts & Crafts Sterling Silver Hammered Pitcher on Tray

Falick Novick, sterling silver handwrought (hand-hammered) sterling silver pitcher on a matching tray, in Chicago Arts & Crafts style, with an elegant, geometric design, from the early 20th century. The pitcher measures 9 3/4'' in height by 9 1/2'' from handle to spout, while the tray measures 12'' in diameter by 3/4'' in height. Hallmarks and a monogram are shown. Total weight is 57.3 troy ounces.

While the Kalo Shop was the best-known Chicago silversmith in the first part of the 20th century, a handful of others rivaled its output in quality. Falick Novick amid a few others created pieces that can be hard to distinguish from those of the Kalo Shop.  In the case of Novick, this is because many of the Kalo Shop's large sterling trays were made by Novick.  In fact, after he went into business for himself he became known locally as the "tray man" who was commissioned to fashion beautiful silver trays for other companies. After a somewhat rocky start in New York, Novick moved to Chicago in 1907 and set up a shop there two years later.  While some other makers' output declined over the years, Novick's remained consistently high. His small operation prospered for nearly half a century until his death in 1957.  He sold his work in his store and through other merchants such as Macy's in New York, but turned down an invitation from the prestigious Danish maker Georg Jensen to market Novick's silver, concerned that a significantly increased volume might mean he wouldn't be able to keep his existing customers happy. He was renowned for his “unusual monograms in diamond or almond-shaped configurations,” states historian Sharon Darling who writes about him and illustrates his work in “Chicago Metalsmiths” (1977). The prominent Art Institute of Chicago owns several of his pieces.

Please feel free to ask us any questions, and please see our other listings. NO published price will beat ours. We hand polish all items before shipping them out, but if there is interest for a professional polishing and/or engraving removal, we can take care of that for an additional charge and with delayed shipping.