Novick Handwrought Sterling Silver Large Tray Platter in Arts & Crafts Style

Description

F. Novick, American, 20th century, beautifully handwrought / hammered sterling silver tray platter in Arts & Crafts Style. It measures 22'' by 14'', weighs 55.7 ozt, and bears hallmarks and a monogram as shown.
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.
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