Catalog: Antiques: Decorative Art (485)

A wonderful Victorian ironstone footed fruit compote decorated in an underglaze blue floral pattern. Distinctly Asian in flavor, the pattern depicts prunus blossoms and peonies surrounded by rocky outcroppings, foliage and hovering butterflies. The edges are finished in a diaper border. Either end has a leafy handle, heavily accented with gilding similar in style to that found on Old Paris porcelains. The overall shape and use of gilding suggests an early date. The bottom is marked with F. Morley & Co.’s underglaze stamp.

Origin: England, ca. 1845. Condition: excellent, no chips or cracks, there are three small glaze misses near the upper rim, original gilding intact. Size: 12-1/2” x 9” x 5-5/8” tall.

A fine sterling silver gravy ladle in the 1892 “Richelieu” patterns by Tiffany & Co. This is one of Tiffany’s great early patterns and is very sought after today. It is distinguished by shell motifs at the handle and pendant bellflowers that lead down the stem. The flattened bowl is elegantly gadrooned to match the scalloped edge. The back is marked with Tiffany’s hallmark in use 1891-1902.

Origin: America, ca. 1895. Condition: excellent, sharp details, no monogram. Size: 7-3/8” long. Weight: 83.5 grams.

Very nice vintage South Jersey glass paperweight featuring a frit design of an ivy-covered blue cross against an opaque white ground. The foreground has a wave-like frit design. The opaque ground is most unusual in a South Jersey weight. The crown rises quite high into a pronounced cowlick more typical of New England weights. The bottom has a pontil mark and slight basal concavity, and there is an incised line around the periphery at the top edge of the opaque ground.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, very light surface scratching as expected. Size: 3-1/4” diameter; 2-1/4” tall.

Superb sterling silver powder box covered with beautiful floral repousse decoration. The design features a dense covering of daisies, chrysanthemums and roses surrounding a pair of rococo reserves framed with assymetrical scrolls. Neither of the reserves has ever been monogrammed. The decoration is really excellent and is of a quality that would rival the best of the repousse decorators. The interior retains the original gilding. The bottom is marked with Gorham’s late 19th century mark and has the date code for 1894. It is also marked with the pattern number “735”.

Origin: America, 1894. Condition: excellent, the concealed inside lip of the lid has some bends that are not at all visible when the lid is in place. Size: 4” diameter; 3-1/8” high. Weight: 145.5 grams.

A very good cut glass vase by Clark in the "Iris" pattern. The lower third and the flared rim are cut with elongated hobstars flanked by mitred triangles of strawberry diamond cutting enhanced with fans; and the neck is cut with panels of printies alternating with notched prisms. The base is cut with a 20-point hobstar and has Clark’s script acid signature. The pattern is either "Iris" or a variant of “American Beauty”. The cutting is very precise and the polish is excellent.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, a small nick to only one tooth at the rim. Size: 10-1/4” tall.

A superb Victorian Art Nouveau baby rattle, the handle carved from a large piece of mother-of-pearl and adorned on either side with a gorgeous Art Nouveau lady's head worked in sterling silver and finished with three silver bells. Although unsigned, the particulars of the design are very similar to a known Unger design. Marked "Sterling".

Origin: America, ca. 1895. Condition: excellent except for the bells which show considerable wear from a toothing child. Size: 4-1/2" long.

A handsome chartreuse-cut-to-clear low bowl cut with a ring of printies near the lip and another ring of overlapping printies lower on the sides. Unsigned, but almost certainly Val St. Lambert.

Origin: Belgium, ca. 1920. Condition: no chips or cracks. Size: 9" diameter; 2-3/8" high.

A fine boxed set of 12 sterling silver demitasse spoons in Gorham's 1896 "Maryland" pattern. The fronts of the handles are decorated scrolls, shells and pendant bouquets, while the backs are accented with simple scrolling and a shell motif near the bowls. The bowls are parcel gilt. This is a particularly lovely pattern--ornate, but not over the top. The spoons are presented in their original fitted box, the inside lid of which is marked with the logo of Gorham's New York City retail store. Each spoon is stamped with an older Gorham hallmark and the patent date.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, all original, no monograms. Size: 4-1/16" long. Weight: 104.5 grams.

Superb early Gorham lady’s purse, the exterior decorated in the Aesthetic taste. The surface is matte-finished and accented with areas of matte-finished and glossy parcel gilding. Each side features a triangular area of engraving representing what appears to be a bough of olive branches with olives. The purse’s beveled edges are glossy and are decorated simply with rows of bright-cut engraving. The purse opens with a push on the thumbpiece to reveal an interior divided into three compartments and lined with the original teal blue silk shantung. The purse retains its original chain. The inside rim of the purse is marked with the earliest form of Gorham’s lion-anchor-G hallmark, along with the pattern number “210”, “Sterling” and the date letter for 1871.

Origin: America, 1871. Condition: excellent, a small ding in the engraved area on one side (visible in raking light), all original, the silk lining with almost no wear. Size: 3-1/2” wide, 2-1/2” high, 1-1/2” thick, 11” chain. Weight: 68.0 grams.

Terrific chair mat or small round rug hooked in a pattern of two white cats with large blue eyes and big red bows against a field of blue-grey surrounded by a burgundy and black double border. Hooked on a burlap foundation with wool and cotton. Very good condition, except for some discoloration and wear to the black border. 15" diameter. American, probably New England, 19th century.

A lovely set of twelve sterling silver demitasse spoons presented in their original fitted velvet and silk box. The design features a scroll of acanthus leaves along the stem with an asymmetrical shell at the handle. The backs are stamped “Sterling” (prior to 1915), American silver was not required to bear a maker’s mark. The pattern is nearly identical to Knowles’ “King” pattern. The spoons are presented in their original velvet and silk fitted box from Hamilton & Diesinger of Philadelphia (1895-1900).

• Origin: America, ca. 1895
• Condition: spoons are excellent except one which has a tiny ding right at the tip of the bowl; sharp detail; no monogram; box is functional, but has significant wear. One of the 2 latches is broken at the top of the latch.
• Dimensions: spoons, 3-7/16” long
• Weight: 77.2 grams

A delightful bronze dresser mirror, the entire frame ornately decorated in the form of two Pierrot figures and a smiling man-in-the-moon. Pierrot was a originally a Comedia dell’Arte character, but in the 18th century, he and the moon became inextricably linked in the French children’s song, “Au Claire de la Lune.” There are a few variations of this mirror; this is the most ornate, with the intricately beveled glass. The detailing of the figures is excellent.

Origin: France, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, all original; the glass has very light tarnishing typical of old silvered mirrors. Dimensions: 4-3/4” x 8-1/2”.

19th century cast iron figure of an angel raising a laurel wreath above her head and holding a ship's anchor. Obviously intended as a symbol of the wishes for a sailor's safe return from the sea, the plaque was probably used to decorate the wall of a sailor's home in an Atlantic coast seaport.

Origin: America, circa 1860s. Condition: excellent, light rusting on surface. Size: 14" tall.

Fantastic pottery double-handled urn decorated in an underglaze blue floral transfer and clobbered with overglaze iron red, yellow and purple pigments. The effect is much like chintz china, but with stronger coloring. The bottom bears the mark used by Cauldon Potteries from 1905 to 1920. The form and size of this vase, combined with its rich coloring, makes for a truly stunning piece of Staffordshire pottery.

Origin: Staffordshire, England, circa 1913. Condition: mint. Size: 13-1/4” tall.

Very good Staffordshire pottery inkwell in the form of a country cottage beside a tree populated by a mother bird and her nest of young. A Dalmatian watches the birds from the ground. The cushion base is accented with a gilt line.

Origin: England, circa 1860. Condition: very good, normal glaze crazing; some ink discoloration to base, no chips or cracks. Size: 4-7/8" x 2-1/16" x 4-3/4" tall.

Elegant sterling silver footed basket with flaring, reticulated sides and a hoop handle. The swirling pattern of the piercing echoes the basket's scalloped rim. The top of the handle has a reserve for a monogram, but was never monogramed. The bottom has Durgin's early hallmark and the retailer's mark "Hodson, Kennard & Co." Many of Durgin's earlier products were sold through such upscale Boston retailers.

Origin: America, circa 1890. Condition: excellent, no dings. Size: 5-1/4" x 4-1/4" x 7-3/4" high. Weight: 153.0 grams.

Wonderful old Millville, NJ area glass paperweight wig stand or mantel ornament. The setup is pierced with five elongated icepick bubbles. Small bits of aventurine glass highlight the overall coloring of soft yellow and green. The top is heavily faceted with 33 printies of varying sizes. The cutting strikes me as being similar to the faceting seen on good New England Glass Company paperweights. The weight is raised on a baluster form pedestal and a foot. The glass is very heavy and of the finest quality. A similar wig stand/mantel ornament is pictured in Newell's "Old Glass Paperweights of Southern New Jersery".

Origin: Millville, NJ area, late 19th century. Condition: very good, a fleabite on the edge of the top printy, another about a third of the way down the crown, and another on the edge of the foot; a small moon on the perimeter of the weight. Size: 6" tall; foot 3-1/16" diameter.

Very fine early Staffordshire child's cup decorated with a pair of colorful roosters. The design was hand-colored over a rudimentary sepia-colored transfer. The pearlware glaze has a wonderful lustre. The bottom edge of the cup is decorated with a molded border.

Origin: England, ca. 1830. Condition: excellent, no chips or cracks, light glaze crazing in interior bottom. Size: 2-7/8" tall; 3-1/8" diameter excluding handle.