Serving Tray
Datec. 1933
MediumSilver
Dimensions1 1/2 × 30 3/4 × 20 inches (3.8 × 78.1 × 50.8 cm)
MarkingsMaker's mark stamped on the bottom: S. Kirk& SonInc / STERLING / 186 / L
Credit LineGift of the estate of Virginia Bateman Comer.
Object number2011.14.7
CopyrightThe images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextThe Baltimore, MD-based silversmithing firm of Samuel Kirk gained a strong reputation in the 19th century for the repoussé and chased landscapes that adorned many of their wares. In this technique, silversmiths push the metal from the back of a surface forward to form shapes and then incise lines on the raised surface to create details and textures. Kirk silver had an especially strong following in the American South. Macon, GA native Virginia Bateman Comer (1914-2011) encountered the firm’s work on a trip with her mother-in-law Maud Gamble Comer (1886-1962) to the Chicago Century of Progress Exposition in 1933. Afterward, Maud Comer ordered this service from the company as a gift to mark Virginia's marriage to her son the previous year, and their marriage date and Virginia's initials are engraved on the serving tray.
