Box

Founded by Clara P. Barck (1868-1965) and a group of fellow craftswomen in 1900, the Kalo shop was one of the earliest, largest, and most influential of Chicago’s silversmithing concerns. The name Kalo derives from the Greek word meaning "to make beautiful," and the works produced at the Kalo shop reflect an unwavering commitment to the Kalo motto, "Beautiful, Useful, and Enduring." Together with various female partners and her husband George S. Welles, Clara built the Kalo community into a highly influential school and workshop. She fostered creativity and entrepreneurship among her staff and students, and many of the silversmiths working at Kalo went on to establish their own businesses. Kalo was on vanguard of early twentieth-century silversmithing and a driving force behind Chicago’s development into a thriving center for silver and metalwork. Clara and the many women at Kalo exemplify the opportunities the Arts and Crafts Movement afforded women to give voice to their creative vision and forge independent careers. This box is a fine example of the silver produced during the early years of the Kalo shop. Its restrained ornament conforms to the form and avoids excesses that would interfere with its function, thus, uniting beauty and use.