Waves Shot Cup

Spratling called the applied texture on the lower body of this rimmed silver shot cup "waves," and the name captures the design: two incised lines circle the top third of the cup, and below them the surface breaks into the applied wave pattern. It is a small piece of holloware that shows the workshop's habit of naming and reusing its own decorative motifs.

The cup belongs to Spratling's First Design Period, 1931 to 1946, and was worked in 980 silver, a purity higher than sterling, under the joined "WS" mark he adapted from his horse brand (Morrill, p. 39).

With no recorded reference, the shot cup rests on its early date, its mark, and the condition of the applied waves rather than on documented literature.