AN AMERICAN SILVER CENTERPIECE BOWL

Edwin and Frank Codman were the sons of William Christmas Codman, the head designer for Gorham Mfg. Co. from 1891 to 1914 and creator of the firm's Martelé line of Art Nouveau silver. In 1904, Edwin, who had worked at Gorham with his father and older brother William, formed an independent firm with his brother Frank in Providence, Rhode Island. Under the mark of Codman & Codman, the brothers created hammered silver holloware in a similar Art Nouveau style as Gorham’s Martelé, such as seen in the present lot. This venture was short lived though, as only a year later the firm was bought by Gorham, where Edwin continued to design until 1914 when he left after the retirement of his father.