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 American Silver before sterling
 John Clark, of Boston and Salem
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| Author | Topic: John Clark, of Boston and Salem |
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seaduck Posts: 350 |
posted 08-12-2014 05:37 PM
  
I have just found a reference to a silversmith I don't know and who doesn't appear in WEV's database or in any of my reference books: John Clark. The source is "American Silver" by Millicent Stow, published in 1950. On p. 46, there is a photo (Fig 42) with the caption: "Punch strainer by John Clark, Boston and Salem (1750--1770). Perforations indicate owner -- 'Jabez Bowen, 1766, Providence.'" I did some research earlier this year on various J.Clark/e combos. It's very confusing. In the same period, there was a Joseph Clark in Boston and Jonathan Clarke in Newport and Providence, both of whom apparently had very similar marks. The confusion is compounded in that (unlikely as it seems) Jonathan apparently sometimes also went by Clark -- without an 'e'. Now along comes John Clark, on the same turf. Because Jabez Bowen sounded familiar in this context, I went to WEV's entry for Jonathan, and sure enough, the very same punch strainer is shown, with a footnote to Buhler/Hood's American Silver at Yale book. Unfortunately, I don't have that. The Yale online database does not show a mark for the strainer. (It does show a lot of evidence of the confusion over attributions of various Clarks.) It seems that Millicent was well known in the field, and wrote quite a bit about silver, but I'm not sure that she was a serious scholar. I am curious about the specificity of her John Clark of Salem/Boston reference. It could be a sloppy reference to Jonathan (who died in 1770), but where did she get the Salem thing? is it possible that she stumbled across something? IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 08-12-2014 06:14 PM
In the exhibition notes on the piece, Yale lists its publication in the Bulletin of the Association in Fine Arts at Yale University (Dec 1930) described as "attributed ot I. Clark, Boston, w. 1754." This may be where Stow took her information from. That said, the actual attribution is stil somewhat open. The strainer is marked "CLARK" in a cartouche on each handle back. The mark is dissimilar to that know to be Jonathan's, but, as seen on my page, there is at least one piece so marked that is also marked with his normal J:CLARKE. It has been proposed that this cartouche mark belongs to Thomas Clark of Boston from whom Jonathan bought goods. Again, that said, there are only two strainers known in this form, the other being by Thomas Arnold of Newport. Yale also has a teapot, very similar in style to the work of Samuel Casey, with a Rhode Island origin with the same "CLARK" mark. The only John Clark working in Boston was an engraver c 1770 and known by a single advertisement. He has not been traced further. I have not seen any reference to a Salem maker, outside of Stow. [This message has been edited by wev (edited 08-12-2014).] IP: Logged |
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seaduck Posts: 350 |
posted 08-13-2014 12:42 PM
Thanks so much for this. It's certainly very confusing. I have the fantasy that there is some document or ledger squirreled away in some semi-forgotten house museum in RI that would make it all clear......... IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 08-13-2014 04:21 PM
I always live in hope -- seldom helps, but I do it anyway. IP: Logged |
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seaduck Posts: 350 |
posted 12-13-2014 07:41 PM
I have found a tidbit to add to the confusion. In "Silver at the Essex Institute" by Martha Gandy Fales (1983), there is a photo of a caster "probably by Joseph Clark (working 1735--1755), Boston." But, in case anyone else is tracking Clark/e's, I think I have found a piece that corroborates the notion that Jonathan Clarke (of Newport and Providence) at some point used a mark without an E. It is a porringer, lot #21 in the Sotheby's Cornelius Moore sale, January 31, 1986. There is a photo of the mark, showing the E well faded out, slightly spaced away from the K. WEV's sense that the punch was later squared off seems to be spot on. IP: Logged |
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