posted on April 18, 2006 07:21:17 AM new
I'm not sure what this is. I thought a tray at first because of it's size, 14 3/8" around. But, the center portion is about 1-1/8" deep. Can it still be a tray or maybe something else? I know the word "Argental" means "Of or pertaining to silver; resembling, containing, or combined with, silver". Would the Laird pertain to Scotland? I'm trying to get a better handle on who made this. I know there was one on eBay, but it never said anything about the maker.
I believe it's Art Deco and that the handles are gazelles. Maybe 1940's when people could afford Aluminum more than silver because of the war???
posted on April 18, 2006 07:51:51 AM new
I googled Laird Argental and found quite a few hits...seems to be a brand of Aluminum or metalware...I like the gazelles...look art deco to me. Try google...you'll get lots of info
posted on April 18, 2006 08:06:28 AM new
I did Google. Most of the hits are useless! I hate that all this OLD eBay auction stuff comes up because when you click on the link, you don't get what you want. If that makes any sense.
posted on April 18, 2006 04:50:54 PM new
I have some hammered aluminum, packed away. Those pieces are similar to yours. I don't recall what the marks are, if any.
posted on April 18, 2006 05:20:06 PM new
Hammered aluminum was wildly popular in the 1940s and 50s -- every bride got at least a tray or two as a wedding gift. I didn't find Laird in my Hammered Aluminum book, but based on the vast stash that I assembled for a few years after covering the First Annual Hammered Aluminum conference in PA, this is a tray: for those canapes and finger sandwiches and molded things they made for cocktail parties back then.
Some hammered aluminum is really cool and groovy -- the best makers trained under Arts and Crafts and you can see the influence in Arthur Armour and Wendell August in particular. Unless it's a spectacular piece, like doors, a bank of lights, umbrella stand etc. this artform still hasn't "arrived." Hence, my very large assembly from years ago remains packed. Yours is a really good looking tray, with all the right elements in design and execution (from what I can see in pic).
