Napier Gold & Sterling Silver Flask with Shot Glass in Art Deco Style from Early 20th Century

Napier sterling silver flask in Art Deco style with an elegant, geometric design, from the early 20th century, with gold inlay. Finely engraved and hammered, and with a collapsible shot glass integrated in the cap, it measures 6 5/8'' by 3 7/8'' by 1'' in depth, weighs 6.6 troy ounces, and bears hallmarks and a monogram as shown.

The Napier Company is an American jewelry manufacturing company and was one of the first modern corporations in the United States. The company is also known historically as a cutting-edge silver object manufacturer. The Napier Company got its start in North Attleboro, Massachusetts 1878, under the name of The E. A. Bliss Co. The company relocated to Meriden, Connecticut in 1890, after the company sustained rapid growth in the previous decade. During World War I (and again in World War II), they ceased production of jewelry, and instead focused on producing war-related items, such as medallions and medals. James H. Napier became president of the company in 1920, and the company was renamed, The Napier-Bliss Co. In 1922, the company again changed its name to The Napier Co.

The company was known for its ability to be on the forefront of fashion and design and had a history of sending its designers to Europe. In 1925, James Napier attended the World's Fair Exposition Internationale des Artes Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris, and brought back with him business ideas, including designs influenced by Parisian and European fashion. 

In the 1950s, the Napier Company presented First Lady Mamie Eisenhower with a bracelet bearing an elephant design, which was reputedly one of her favorite pieces of jewelry, and which she wore often, and the Napier Company gifted the contestants of the 1955 Miss America Pageant with fashion jewelry.

Napier silver designs from the first half of the 20th century are in museum collections including the Brooklyn Museum, Newark Museum and a substantial collection at the Dallas Museum of Art. Over the years, Napier silver has been featured in museum exhibitions, including Modernism in American Silver: 20th Century Design at the Smithsonian in Washington DC.

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