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Imperial Russian Enameled 88 Silver Patch Pill Box
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Pre 1900 item# 906462
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Kensington House Antiques
(301)942-0955
$1250
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A beautiful enameled silver patch or pill box by Nicholai Alexeyev. The hinged box is fully covered with enamels worked in shades of opaque white, aqua, periwinkle and royal blue, accented with translucent red and green. The cover and bottom are worked in a stylized starburst pattern, while the sides feature floral banding flanked by traditional triangular and dotted patterns. Exposed areas of silver are stippled and lightly gilt. The interior is also gilt. The interior of the body and lid are marked with the Moscow city mark, the 88 standard, and the maker’s mark for Nicholai Alexeyev. The lid closes securely and can be used as a functional pill box, if desired.Origin: Moscow, ca. 1890. Condition: excellent, no enamel damage. Size: 2-1/8” diameter; 1” high. Weight: 53.0 grams.
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Victorian Austrian Silver Agate Fish Cheese Dessert Set
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Pre 1920 item# 854840
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Kensington House Antiques
(301)942-0955
SOLD, PLEASE VISIT US AGAIN!
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A very handsome and rare 12-piece service worked in 800 silver with banded agate handles. The shape of the knives would suggest that the set was intended for use during the fish service, but sets such as this often did double duty for the cheese and dessert courses, as well. The scimitar-shaped blades are gilt and decorated with bright-cut engraving of ivy leaves. The fork tines, also gilt, are accented with matching engraving on the back and acanthus leaf decoration just above the ferules. The tines and blades are entirely silver. The handles are beautifully-striated agate in tones of caramel, amber and cream. Each piece is stamped with the hallmark used in Vienna from 1872 until 1922 and with the maker’s mark “JC”.Origin: Austria, ca. 1910. Condition: excellent, gilding intact, no chips or cracks to handles. Size: knives, 7-3/4” long; forks, 6-3/4” long.
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Loire Valley French Silver Tastevin Wine Taster
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Pre 1900 item# 814779
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Kensington House Antiques
(301)942-0955
$495
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A classic second standard (800/1000 pure) silver tastevin from the Loire Valley of France. The origins of tastevins can often be identified by the tastevin’s shape. In this case, the bowl is rather shallow and completely without decoration. The handle is formed in the shape of a thin, curvy snake, but is worked without extra decoration such as scales or details to the head. This example is rather early, as is evidenced by signs of hand hammering and the small lathe mark in the middle of the bowl. The bottom is stamped with the original owner’s name, P. Roux. These classic tastevins from the Loire Valley are charming because of their simplicity, and the absence of decoration allows the wine to take center stage.Origin: Loire Valley, France, ca. 1840. Condition: excellent. Size: 2-7/8” diameter (excluding handle). Weight: 30.0 grams.
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Parrod French Silver Tastevin Wine Taster
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Pre 1900 item# 807909
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Kensington House Antiques
(301)942-0955
$375
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A very good first standard (950/1000 pure) silver small-size tastevin by the highly regarded Dijon silversmith Marc Parrod. This example retains the classic round shape with a convex bottom, but the usual gadrooning and bull’s-eyes are replaced by repoussé grape clusters alternating with bull’s-eyes. Each grape cluster is accented with stylized vines. Parrod was particularly noted for this unique variation. The handle is in a rather unusual shape slightly suggestive of the double snake handles sometimes found on tastevins from the Bourgogne region, of which Dijon is the capital city. These smaller tastevins are less common than the larger ones. The bottom and handle are stamped with the Minerve and with the maker’s mark.Origin: Dijon, France, ca. 1870. Condition: excellent, no dings or monograms, sharp detail. Size: 2-1/4” diameter (excluding handle). Weight: 26.0 grams.
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Parrod Silver Snake Handle Tastevin Wine Taster
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Pre 1900 item# 807907
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Kensington House Antiques
(301)942-0955
$375
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A very good first standard (950/1000 pure) silver small-size tastevin by the highly regarded Dijon silversmith Marc Parrod. This example retains the classic round shape with a convex bottom, but the usual gadrooning and bull’s-eyes are replaced by repoussé grape clusters alternating with bull’s-eyes. Each grape cluster is accented with stylized vines. Parrod was particularly noted for this unique variation. The handle is in the form of a pair of snakes, an element most often seen on tastevins from the Bourgogne region, of which Dijon is the capital city. These smaller tastevins are less common than the larger ones. The bottom is stamped with the Minerve and with the maker’s mark.Origin: Dijon, France, ca. 1870. Condition: excellent, no dings or monograms, sharp detail. Size: 2-1/4” diameter (excluding handle). Weight: 24.5 grams.
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19th Century French Silver Tastevin Wine Taster
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Pre 1900 item# 806011
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Kensington House Antiques
(301)942-0955
$525
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A very handsome first standard (950/1000 pure) silver tastevin. Tastevins were used by cellarmasters, wine merchants and sommeliers to judge the color, clarity and bouquet of a fine wine and to taste a small amount directly from the barrel. This example is quite different from most. The bowl retains the convex bottom, but in this case, it’s surrounded by a beaded border. The sides are finely decorated with clusters of grapes, complete with vines and foliage. Occasionally, tastevins with grape cluster decoration are seen, but the detailing is not usually so realistic. The handle is in the shape of a coiled snake. The details of the snake are finely worked and the coiled shape has a very realistic appearance. The tastevin is stamped with the Minerve hallmark and an unidentified maker’s mark. The snake handle and the grape cluster decoration suggest that the tastevin is probably from the Bourgogne region.Origin: France, ca. 1850. Condition: excellent, all original, no monograms. Size: 3-1/8” diameter (excluding handle). Weight: 52.5 grams.
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Parrod French Silver Tastevin Wine Taster
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Pre 1900 item# 806007
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Kensington House Antiques
(301)942-0955
SOLD, PLEASE VISIT US AGAIN!
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A very good first standard (950/1000 pure) silver small-size tastevin by the highly regarded Dijon silversmith Marc Parrod. This example retains the classic round shape with a convex bottom, but the usual gadrooning and bull’s-eyes are replaced by repoussé grape clusters alternating with bull’s-eyes. The convex center is detailed with a beaded border. Each grape cluster is accented with stylized vines. Parrod was particularly noted for this unique variation. The handle is in a rather unusual shape. Solid thumbpieces (“appui-puces”)are more often found on tastevins from Normandy or Paris. The shape of this particular thumbpiece has a very Medieval look. These smaller tastevins are less common than the larger ones. The bottom and handle are stamped with the Minerve and with the maker’s mark.Origin: Dijon, France, ca. 1870. Condition: excellent, a pinpoint ding to the bowl (the large thing in the middle of the bowl is the hallmark), no monograms, sharp detail. Size: 2-1/4” diameter (excluding handle). Weight: 26.0 grams.
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19th Century French Silver Tastevin Wine Taster
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Pre 1900 item# 806004
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Kensington House Antiques
(301)942-0955
$325
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A very nice small-size silver wine taster in the classical style. The bottom features the typical convex bottom surrounded by concave gadrooning and bull’s-eyes. The shape is intended to create high and low spots to better appreciate the color of the wine as light is reflected through it. The open shape also allows the bouquet to develop quickly so the wine can be tested easily. The snake handle is generally seen on tastevins from the region of Bourgogne. The tastevin bears an unidentified maker’s mark. Origin: France, ca. 1870. Condition: excellent, no dings, sharp detail. Size: 2-1/4” diameter (excluding handle). Weight: 28.75 grams.
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Louis XV Coin French Silver Tastevin Wine Taster
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Pre 1900 item# 804915
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Kensington House Antiques
(301)942-0955
$725
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A fine second standard (800/1000 pure) silver tastevin, the bottom inset with a rare Louis XV silver ecu coin. Tastevins with coiled snake handles are typically associated with the wine-making region of Bordeaux, in the southwest of France. The coin itself, dating to 1770, is a rare rather example minted in the southwestern city of Pau near the Spanish border. The front of the coin shows the bust of Louis XV wearing the “bandeau de Béarn” and surrounded by the legend translated as “Louis XV, by grace of God, King of France and Navarre.” The back side of the coin shows the royal coat of arms surrounded by the legend “Blessed be the name of the Lord.” The bottom of the coin shows scratched hatchmarks that were made to test the coin’s content when it was still used as currency. The sides of the tastevin surrounding the coin are worked in the traditional manner with concave gadrooning on one side and concave and convex bulls-eyes on the other. The snake handle is more detailed than most, with clearly worked scales and head. Tastevins were used by cellarmasters, sommeliers and wine merchants to judge the color, bouquet and taste of a bottle or cask without pouring a large quantity. The handle is marked with the 2nd standard Minerve and an indistinct maker’s mark.Origin: southwestern France, ca. 1840. Condition: excellent, no dings. Size: 3-1/4” diameter (excluding handle). Weight: 84.5 grams.
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Boin-Taburet Sterling Silver Tastevin Wine Taster
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Pre 1920 item# 784958
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Kensington House Antiques
(301)942-0955
$595
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A very fine classic-style silver tastevin shaped in the traditional manner, with a convex bottom and shallow sides dotted with bulls-eyes and curved gadrooning, by one of France's most important silversmiths, Boin-Taburet. The shape, combined with the sheen of the silver, allows the color of the wine to be fully appreciated in dark environments like a cellar or a candlelit room. The curved sides help concentrate the aroma, so only a very small amount of wine has to be poured from the bottle to judge quality. The looped handle allows the tastevin to be worn suspended from a chain. This particular tastevin has a finely-worked handle in the form of a snake. Snake handles are most frequently seen on tastevins from the Burgundy region. Boin-Taburet was a leading society silversmith in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its products were very expensive and appeared on only the finest tables. The tastevin is fully stamped with the 1st standard mark (purer than sterling silver), with Boin-Taburet's hallmark, and also with the pattern number.Origin: France, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent. Size: 2-15/16" diameter (excluding handle). Weight: 67.0 grams.
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