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 SMP Silver Salon Forums
 20th/21st Century Silversmiths
 Laurence Foss Plaques
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| Author | Topic: Laurence Foss Plaques |
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chicagosilver Posts: 227 |
posted 09-08-2009 02:18 PM
  
Laurence Foss is one of the great living silversmiths. He grew up with Gilbert Oakes and helped Edward Oakes make his iconic silver and gold jeweled casket (which is in the collection of the MFA, Boston). Foss was a Jensen silversmith in the 1940s and started his own business soon afterward. He is best known for his fine silver jewelry that bears a resemblance to that of Jensen and Oakes. We recently acquired two rare and lovely Foss copper and silver plaques he created about 50 years ago. (Foss made only three of these.) The first is rectangular and slightly convex: The second is round: The rectangular plaque is 4-3/4" W and 3-1/2" H. The other is 5-3/8" round. Here are the marks: Foss has produced a wonderful body of work, but like a lot of great Arts & Crafts metalsmiths, is woefully under-appreciated. IP: Logged |
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FredZ Posts: 1070 |
posted 09-08-2009 02:51 PM
These are fantastic. Can you tell if the iris is repoussed and soldered onto the plaque? What a treat to be able to see these. These are certainly unique and not typical of what is seen of his work. Thank you for sharing this information and images. Fred IP: Logged |
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chicagosilver Posts: 227 |
posted 09-08-2009 03:08 PM
Yes, the flower is soldered on. Foss made both production pieces and handmade items. This is clearly handmade and very accomplished. In addition to his fine jewelry, he also created some very interesting geometric sculptures. IP: Logged |
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bascall Posts: 1629 |
posted 09-08-2009 03:54 PM
Maybe this link has already been given, but either way, it is interesting. What a genius!  It is likely that chicagosilver, the poster of this topic, had something to do with this producing this presentation. It is very good. IP: Logged |
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Brent Posts: 1507 |
posted 09-08-2009 04:17 PM
Great items, thanks for sharing! As a side question: Some pieces of Jensen USA jewelry bear the trademarks of their makers: JoPol, LaPaglia, etc., while others do not. Was any of Foss's jewelry simply marked Jensen USA, or did it all have his own trademark? Brent IP: Logged |
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chicagosilver Posts: 227 |
posted 09-08-2009 04:50 PM
Foss's work for Jensen was generally signed with some variation of this mark: U.S.A. / GEORG / JENSEN / INC. / [3-digit number] / STERLING / HANDWROUGHT. We have quite a few matching sets/parures where some pieces are signed Jensen and some have the Foss L/F mark. FYI, most of the Foss pieces he made for Jensen seem to have a 3-digit number starting with 4. It's possible that each of the USA Jensen silversmiths had their own sequence of numbers. Foss's beautiful work is often confused with that of Edward or Gilbert Oakes. Here's a signed L/F ring that's a typical example of this: IP: Logged |
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chicagosilver Posts: 227 |
posted 09-08-2009 05:03 PM
By the way, here's something you don't see everyday -- an Oakes-type Foss bracelet under construction: IP: Logged |
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chicagosilver Posts: 227 |
posted 03-14-2011 06:17 PM
Two handwrought items from one of the best living metalsmiths, Laurence Foss. First, a heavy copper humidor with an aluminum top and base, and a cedar-lined interior: Second, the front of an old handmade mailbox of his, in copper and silver: Yes, copper is supposed to have a nut-brown patina. But on these pieces I don't mind. They're lovely. IP: Logged |
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