If a piece of Forest Craft Guild metal is marked, it will have the entire name spelled out as shown above.

The FOREST CRAFT GUILD was started by Forest Emerson Mann in 1905 & folded sometime around 1918.  Mann was a student of Arthur Wesley Dow's at the Pratt Institue (Brooklyn) around 1902.  He gradually made his way to Grand Rapids where he founded the guild.  The Guild is believed to be the makers of many of the lamp shades produced during the period by the Stickley Brothers & Limberts.  To find out more about Mann & the Guild, I highly recommend the book GRAND RAPIDS ART METALWORK by Don Marek. 

FORM & DESIGN:

Like Carence items, Forest Craft Guild pieces can be easily identified once you get familiar with the forms & designs.  It seems that only about 1/2 of FCG pieces are actually signed and I have seen the exact same piece both signed & unsigned.  FCG work used a wider array of techniques than the Carence Crafters.  You will find many acid etched items, but you will also see many reticulated (cut out) pieces, riveted & applied designs (can be in different base metals), repousee patterns (hammered from behind to give a 3 dimensional effect) & the use of precious stones & glass. Almost always, FCG pieces will have a finely finished edge, basically a subtle hammering all the way around the borders.  You can also identify unmarked pieces by their standard patterns & designs, you will see many repeated below & much more in Don's book (especially in the period ads).  Look for square & dot repousee patterns, scarab, dragon as well as abstract whiplash, celtic or geometric acid etched work, stones of the same color/size & reticulated scenes that repeat in various objects (note the girl & cat bookends bear the same design found in the famous Dutch Limbert lamp).       

PATINA & FINISH:

Also a wider variety than Carence, FCG items can have patinas in copper, verdigris, antiqued brass, silver & even gold.  Their overall Verdigris patina is truly spectacular & can sometimes make the piece by itself (see the single square bookend, desk set & boxes below).  If anyone knows how to reproduce it, let me know!       

FORM EXAMPLES:

FRAMES:

BOOKENDS:

	Stylized Cranes.

DESK SETS & ITEMS:

INKWELLS:

LETTER OPENERS:

MISC:

BOXES:

JEWELRY:

LAMPS:

CANDLE SCONCE: 

PURSES:

ETC: