James Parker Silver Ring with Curved Top

James Parker (1914-1987) was a San Diego silversmith and enamelist. He was a member of San Diego’s Allied Craftsmen group and exhibited his work in numerous national exhibits including “Craftsmanship in a Changing World”, the inaugural exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts in New York in 1956 [now known as the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD)]. According to Marbeth Schon in Form and Function, American Modernist Jewelry, 1940-1970, Parker’s designs are “unique statements of subtlety mixed with boldness. The linear elements of his designs almost always curve or circle around his forms creating a feeling of vitality”. In this ring a curved section of silver the same width as the shank is perched atop it and transected by a row of graduated silver balls that give the ring that feeling of vitality; a patina has been applied adjacent to the silver balls to make them stand out. Scroll down for more details