Catalog: Vintage Arts: Decorative Art (258)

This set of bar tools in Tiffany's classic "Bamboo" pattern includes a bottle/can opener, ice pick and fruit knife, all with gilt sterling silver handles. This is a wonderful design that looks as stylish today as it did in when conceived by the designer Van Day Truex in 1961. The set is presented in its original fitted velvet-lined box Tiffany blue box. Each piece is marked "Tiffany & Co. Makers Sterling".

• Origin: America, ca. 1965.
• Condition: excellent; gilding intact; no dings; moderate wear and discoloration to interior and exterior of box.
• Dimensions: knife, 8-1/4" long; pick, 7-1/4" long; opener, 5-7/8" long.

A lovely set of Cartier silverplated cocktail picks, buffet markers and champagne whisks, presented in their original fitted and embossed case. The finial of each pick is pierced with “Shou” the Chinese symbol for “longevity.” The double-sided finials allow the picks to double as buffet markers, by inserting a small card to identify cheese, charcuterie or finger sandwich selections presented on a cocktail buffet table. And finally, the piercing of the finials allows the picks to be used to aerate a glass of champagne to keep the bubbles flowing. The picks are presented in their original fitted box, the silk interior lid stamped with Cartier’s Paris/London/New York mark. The bottom of the box is stamped “Cartier Ltd,” indicating the picks were designed and sold in London. Each pick is stamped with a serial number.

Origin: England, ca. 1920. Condition: picks are excellent; the box has wear consistent with age, as well as an old auction or retail label on the top cover. Dimensions: picks 3” long.

A delightful and very rare French Art Deco silverplate cocktail shaker with enamel recipe decoration by Deschamps Frères of Paris. The enameled decoration depicts a pair of scrolled documents with seals presenting recipes for “Torelli” and “Winter Palace” cocktails. Both are rather unusual variations on a classic martini. Adolphe Torelli was the barman at the famous Winter Palace Hotel in Nice. His book, “900 Recette de Cocktails et Boissons Américaines: Guide du Barman et du Gourmet Chic” (“900 Recipes for American Cocktails and Drinks: A Guide for the Bartender at the Stylish Gourmet”) was published in 1927. It was among the first important bartender’s books from the cocktail era. This shaker was likely produced just after the publication. Deschamps Frères opened in 1920 and was known at the time for its interesting enameled silverplate barware, but the items are quite rare today and the enamel is often in poor condition. The bottom is stamped with Deschamps’ maker’s mark.

• Origin: France, ca. 1927.
• Dimensions: 8-1/4” tall.
• Condition: good; no dings; some yellow enamel loss; isolated pitting, light dulling and superficial scuffs to some areas of the plating.

An elegant second standard (800/1000 pure silver) French tastevin. Rather than the typical "perles" and fluted "godrons", the bowl of this tastevin is decorated with repousse grape leaves and berries in the 18th century style. This treatment is sometime see in tastevins made by Parrod, one of the most influential makers of tastevins in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The handle is in the tradition form of two entwined snakes grasping an apple in their mouths, thought to remind drinkers of temptation and sin. The tastevin is fully hallmarked and has an illegible maker's mark.

France, ca. 1925. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Dimensions: 3-1/4" x 4-1/4" x 1". Weight: 53.5 gr.

A set of 12 gorgeous Art Deco sterling silver coffee spoons decorated on both sides with guilloche enamels. Each spoon is worked in a different shade of translucent enamel over an engraved background. The spoons are presented in their original velvet-lined box. Each spoon is hallmarked for the Watson Co.

Origin: America, circa 1935. Condition: excellent, the dark purple spoon has a 1/16" flake to the enamel at one edge, the box shows normal wear appropriate to the age. Size: 4-1/4" long.

An elegant second standard (800/1000 pure silver) French tastevin. Rather than the typical "perles" and fluted "godrons", the bowl of this tastevin is decorated with repousse grape leaves and berries in the 18th century style. This treatment is the classic Dijonais interpretation of the form. The handle is in the tradition form of two entwined snakes grasping an apple in their mouths, thought to remind drinkers of temptation and sin. The tastevin is fully hallmarked and has an unidentified maker's mark (EE with a plumb bob).

• France, ca. 1925
• Condition: excellent, sharp detail, a small porosity blemish (1/4") under the rim on one side
• Dimensions: 3-1/4" x 4-3/16" x 1"
• Weight: 55.7 grams

A fantastic figural sterling silver and stag horn graduated jigger, each cup in the form of a whisky barrel. The barrels are fully detailed with engraved staves, raised hoops, and bung holes. The jigger is finished with a polished stag horn handle in an amber shade. The portions are well-made with good weight and detail. The ferrule is marked "Sterling" and also has serial numbers and an indistinct maker's mark

• Origin: America, ca. 1920
• Condition: excellent, a 1/8" pinpoint on the the bung hole of the larger barrel
• Dimensions: 4-1/8" wide; 7" long

A delightful set of six sterling silver Art Deco cocktail picks with finials in the form of the Devil. The little naked figure grasps a flaming torch in one upraised hand and his tail is replaced by the business end of the cocktail pick. No doubt, the picks were intended to remind one, rather tongue in cheek, of the sin of drinking! Each pick is fully hallmarked for Barker Brothers Silver Ltd. The picks are presented in their original velvet- and silk-lined fitted case.

• Origin: Birmingham, England, 1929.
• Condition: picks are excellent; box is very good with minor discoloration to the velvet lining.
• Dimensions: picks, 3-17/32” long.
• Weight: 26.8 grams.

A very elegant Art Deco cranberry-cut-to-clear crystal cocktail shaker. The glass is very clear and quite heavy. The style of cutting suggests Val Saint-Lambert as the most likely maker. The shaker is finished with a silverplate strainer and cap.

Origin: probably Belgium, ca. 1925. Condition: excellent, no chips or cracks, very minor plating loss on cap. Dimensions: 9" tall.

A lovely set of six sterling silver demitasse spoons in the “Wild Rose” variant of the “Vine” pattern. The bowls are in the elongated shape often seen in Tiffany demitasse spoons and are enhanced with soft matte gilding. Each is stamped with the Tiffany hallmark used 1873-1891. The spoons are accompanied by a Tiffany felt bag of more recent vintage.

The “Vine” pattern was created by Tiffany’s chief designer, Edward C. Moore, in 1872. The design included a variety of floral and vegetable elements including wild roses, tomatoes, gourds, irises, and wheat sheaves. Though pieces had different motifs, they were intended to be used together as a reference to the Japanese decorative concept of mismatching that became popular in Europe and America after Japan was opened to international trade in the 1850s. Few pieces in the pattern were made after the mid-1880s.

• Origin: America, ca 1880
• Condition: excellent, original gilding intact, sharp detail
• Dimensions: 4” long
• Weight: 63.9 grams

A sterling silver vermouth dispenser in the form of a watering can by Cartier. When tipped, the dispenser lightly sprinkles a drip or two of vermouth into the glass for the perfect martini. The bottom is marked “Sterling” and is signed “Cartier”. These watering cans were made for Cartier’s New York store.

• Origin: America, ca. 1950
• Condition: very good, a few tiny dings visible only in raking light
• Dimensions: 3” tall
• Weight: 52.0 grams

A fascinating English Art Deco sterling silver hors d'oeuvre or dessert set cast and engraved with Egyptian motifs. This set is hallmarked for 1922—the year King Tut's tomb was discovered by English archaeologists in Egypt. Everything Egyptian suddenly became a design craze. This set features ornate depictions of everything Egyptian—the Step Pyramid of Zoser, a pharaoh wearing a nemes headdress, papyrus, lotus, ibis, Horus wings, and more! The spoons with the spade-shaped bowls are gilt, suggesting they were intended for use with salty foods that would tarnish bare silver. The spoons are presented in their original fitted case. Each spoon is stamped with Birmingham date marks for 1922 and the maker's mark for Levi & Salaman.

• Origin: England, 1922.
• Condition: excellent, no enamel damage, slight wear to gilding on spade-shaped spooons; case has slight spotting to lining, but otherwise superb.
• Dimensions: oval spoons, 4-13/16"; spade spoons, 4".
• Weight: 78.8 grams.

A sterling silver vermouth dispenser in the form of a watering can by Cartier. When tipped, the dispenses sprinkles a drip or two of vermouth into the glass for the perfect martini. The bottom is marked “Cartier Sterling.” These cans were made specifically for Cartier’s New York store.

Origin: America, ca. 1950. Condition: very good, a very minor ding on the bottom rim and on the spill guard at the top. Dimensions: 3” tall. Weight: 51.2 gr.

A sterling silver vermouth dispenser in the form of a watering can by Cartier. When tipped, the dispenser lightly sprinkles a drip or two of vermouth into the glass for the perfect martini. The bottom is marked “Sterling” and is signed “Cartier”. These watering cans were made for Cartier’s New York store.

Origin: America, ca. 1950. Condition: very good, two tiny dings barely noticeable in raking light. Size: 3” tall. Weight: 52.0 gr.

A lovely boxed set of sterling silver coffee or demitasse spoons in the “Harlequin” pattern. Each spoon features and stem and finial in a different floral form (L-R “Wild Rose”, “Goldenrod”, “Calla Lily”, “Hollyhock”, “Apple Blossom”, “Tea Rose”, “Water Lily” and “Forget-me-not”). The designs are beautifully worked. The bowls are parcel gilt. Each spoon is hallmarked. They are presented in their original box with an illustrated guide (dated 1948) to the patterns inside the lid.

• Origin: America, 1948
• Condition: excellent; box has normal age-appropriate wear
• Dimensions: 4” long
• Weight: 81.7 grams

A set of six sterling silver coffee spoons by Asprey & Co. Each spoon has a brownish-black bakelite “coffee bean”—a decorative device popular in England during the Art Deco period. Each spoon is fully hallmarked for Asprey, 1931. The spoons are presented in their original silk- and velvet-lined fitted box, the lid of which is imprinted “Asprey/166 Bond St/London”.

• Origin: England, 1931.
• Dimensions: spoons, 3 7/8" long.
• Weight: 43.0 grams.
• Condition: excellent, all original, no monograms; case is like new.

A vintage sterling silver figural jigger by Gorham, the sides marked off with enameled stoplights in green, yellow and red, meant to signify “go,” “caution,” and “stop.” Each light corresponds to the 1, 2-1/2 and 3-1/2 ounce markings on the jigger’s bottom. The bottom is hallmarked by Gorham.

• Origin: America, ca. 1950
• Condition: excellent, except the ounce markings on the bottom ar worn and faint
• Dimensions: 2-7/16” tall
• Weight: 55.5 grams

A vintage sterling silver figural jigger by Gorham, the sides marked off with enameled stoplights in green, yellow, and red, meant to signify “go,” “caution,” and “stop.” Each light corresponds to the 1, 2=1/2, and 3-1/2 ounce markings on the jigger’s bottom. The bottom is hallmarked by Gorham

• Origin: America, ca. 1950
• Condition: excellent, two pinpoint dings on the bottom
• Dimensions: 2-7/16”
• Weight: 53.5 grams