WS Initial Rosewood Ashtray

A small circular silver dish rests on a turned rosewood base carved with the initials WS, making the object as much a signature as a tray. The combination of silver with the warmth and density of rosewood is one Spratling shared with Jean Puiforcat, whose use of rosewood and other woods against reflective silver Morrill identifies as a touchstone for his approach (Morrill, p. 224).

Dated to the first design period, 1931-1946, the piece is a quiet bit of table silver in which the maker's mark is built into the design rather than stamped on the underside.

Functional objects of this kind, combining wood and silver, survive in modest numbers from the early workshop.