Catalog: Vintage Arts (283)

A beautiful Art Deco green overlay cut crystal perfume bottle in Design "7623" by Cristalleries de Nancy. The bottle is cut in alternating pillars accented with stars and printies. The hollow-blown stopper is cut to match, with a large start at the apex. The base is stamped with the acid signature "Cristal Nancy France." This particular pattern is more often seen in cranberry overlay and in a round shape rather than square. The pattern was likely designed by Auguste Houillon, the company's artistic director.

Cristalleries de Nancy was established in 1921 and after winning the gold medal at the 1925 Art Deco Exhibition in Paris, it became the primary challenger to Daum during the Art Deco period. Luxury perfume bottles and dresser accessories were the company's specialty. The company closed in 1934.

Origin: France, 1921-34. Condition: excellent, no damage to bottle, the stopper has a small moon below the surface at the very bottom of the stopper. Dimensions: 2-5/8" x 2-5/8" x 5".

A very large and heavy sterling silver double jigger with a turned ebony handle by Quaker Silver Co. The cups are decorated with an ornate acanthus leaf and bead design reminiscent of Jensen and other Nordic designers of the early 20th century. The jigger is stamped with Quaker's hallmark.

Origin: America, ca. 1925. Condition: excellent, a couple of very tiny pinpoints along the rim of the smaller cup. Dimensions: 4-15/16" tall; 10-3/4"long. Weight: the silver portion is approximately 150.00 gr.

Two sets of English Art Deco sterling silver cocktail picks, the finials in the form of brightly enameled roosters. Each pick has unusual double tines that firmly hold olives, cherries, etc., and a hook on the back side that can rest on the edge of tall glass to keep them from sinking to the bottom. Each is hallmarked the silversmith Adolph Scott ("Amnora") and with the datemark for Birmingham, 1929. The picks are presented in their original fitted boxes.

• Origin: England, 1929
• Condition: excellent, no enamel damage, one pick missing, typical wear to fitted boxes
• Dimensions: 3-3/8" long
• Weight: 28.3 grams

12 sterling silver demitasse spoons in Kirk's wonderful "Repousse" pattern. Certainly the most famous of all silver patterns to emerge from Baltimore, "Repousse" they are filled with flowers such as roses, daisies and forget-me-nots. The backs are marked "S. Kirk & Son Sterling." The set of 12 is accompanied with it's original felt protector with 12 individual holders for the spoons.

Origin: Baltimore, MD, circa 1924. Condition: mint, excellent, no monogram and nicely polished. Size: 4-3/8" long. Silver weight: 184 grams.

A nice set of sterling silver cocktail picks, the tops decorated with colorful enameled roosters. The use of the rooster (“cock”) motif in Art Deco barware was a play on the word “cocktail”. Each pick has a hook on the back of the rooster so that it can hang from the edge of the glass. Each is fully hallmarked for Birmingham, 1927. The picks are presented in their original fitted case embossed Abercrombie & Fitch.

Origin: England, 1927. Condition: all original, no enamel damage, box has significant wear. Size: 3-3/16” long. Weight: 13.5 grams.

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.

A very good set of sterling silver cocktail picks, the tops decorated with colorful enameled roosters. The use of the rooster (“cock”) motif in Art Deco barware was a play on the word “cocktail”. Each of the roosters is enameled in a slightly different colorway. The picks are presented in their original fitted case. Each is marked "Sterling Silver".

Origin: America, ca. 1925. Condition: all original, no enamel damage, box has significant wear. Size: 3” long. Weight: 10.8 grams.

An elegant cranberry-cut-to-clear perfume bottle, likely by Cristallerie de Saint Louis or Cristalleries de Nancy. The bottle is worked in a classic pattern of pillars finished with step cutting at the shoulders and panels cuts on the neck. The base is also cut-to-clear in a star pattern. The hollow-blown stopper is cut in a matching pattern.

• Origin: France, ca 1920
• Condition: excellent, no chips
• Dimensions: 2-9/16” x 2-9/16” x 6-1/2”
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A vintage Austrian silver stopper for a wine bottle or decanter, the finial constructed from a coin known as the “Maria Theresa Thaler”. These coins were first minted during the reign of the Empress Maria Theresa, mother of Marie Antoinette. The front depicts Maria Theresa and the back features the imperial Hapsburg double eagle arms. The abbreviated Latin inscription reflects her full title, “Maria Theresa, by grace of God, Empress of the Romans, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, Archduchess of Austria, Duchess of Burgundy, Countess of Tyrol” and includes her personal motto, “Justice and Clemency.” When the Empress died in 1780, the date on the coin was fixed in perpetuity. The coin had a very reliable silver content and became one of the most accepted coins for international trade—especially in the Middle East, Africa and parts of Asia. It ceased to be used as legal tender in the Austrian empire in 1857, but continued to be minted for international trading purposes. The coin used for this stopper has characteristics usually associated with early 20th century examples, and the hallmark on the stopper’s collar is that used in Vienna after 1922.

Origin: Austria, ca. 1930.

Condition: excellent, sharp detail, all original;

Note that the cork is too wide to fit a wine bottle, but could be shaved down to fit.

Size: 2-1/4” from bottom edge of silver collar to the top of the coin; 1-5/8” wide across the coin.

Weight: 45.0 grams.

Sterling silver pastry server in Georg Jensen’s 1927 “Viking” pattern (also called “Nordisk”). This is one of the rarest Jensen patterns, and was designed by the master himself. It is beautifully crafted of the heaviest silver and combines traditional Scandinavian motifs with an Art Deco sensibility. The reverse is stamped with the hallmark used until 1930. This pattern has been out of production for many years, and is extremely hard to find.

Origin: Denmark, 1927-30. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Size: 7-1/2” long. Weight: 70.5 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.

An uncommon boxed set of twelve Art Deco sterling silver cocktail picks with red bakelite finials in the shape of maraschino cherries. The picks are presented in their original velvet and silk-lined fitted box. Each pick is marked “Sterling Silver”. It's quite rare to find a set of a dozen picks rather than the standard six.

• Origin: America, ca. 1920.
• Condition: picks are excellent; box shows expected wear for the age.
• Dimensions: picks, 3” long.
• Weight: 24.8 gr.

Phenomenal Art Deco cocktail shaker and six matching cocktail glasses by Gorham. The gently curving surface has a quilted appearance created by deeply incised vertical and horizontal lines. The spout and handle are attached to the body with a cobweb-like decorative device. The cocktail glasses are raised on tall stems with knops decorated to match the bowls. The same decorative element is repeated where the stems meet the flaring bases. The interiors of the bowls retain the original gilding. The bottom of each piece is fully hallmarked for Gorham with the year mark for 1928. The shaker is marked with the pattern number GA 13825 and the glasses with GA 13826.

This set was featured in Gorham's 1929 catalogue under the heading, "Sterling Splendor: Eminently Indispensible Silver Necessities of the Luxurious Modern Home." The set was the most expensive shaker offered by Gorham and cost the equivalent of a car or a small farm. Partly as a result of its sellling price, this set is one of the rarest cocktail shakers ever made. Gorham produced silver in the Art Deco and modernist style for only a short period (1926-29) under the guidance of famed silversmith Erik Magnussen worked there. Though it has been attributed to Magnussen (Visakay), it was probably not one of his designs since none of the very few examples are signed by the designer.

Origin: America, 1928. Condition: excellent; shaker has no dings, deep scratches or monograms; two of the glasses have a small flat ding on the edge of the weighted base. Size: shaker, 12" tall; glasses, 5-1/8" tall. Weight: 2,064 grams.

A beautiful set of six sterling pastry or cake forks designed by Bernard Cuzner for Liberty & Co. in 1923. The handles are elegantly enhanced with blue and green champleve enamel in a sort of peacock feather design. Cuzner was Liberty’s most influential silver designer in the 1920s. This set is fully hallmarked by Liberty and has the date mark for 1928. They are presented in their original silk-lined fitted case.

• Origin: England, 1928
• Condition: excellent, no enamel damage, very minor wear to the case
• Dimensions: 5-1/8” long
• Weight: 86.3 grams

An elegant pair of 1st standard (950/1000 pure) silver jiggers by Hermes in the form of tankards. Each is fully hallmarked by Ravinet D'Enfert, the company responsible for most of Hermès silver creations in the Deco era. The bottom of each is marked "Hermès Paris". The jiggers are accompanied by an Hermès drawstring pouch.

Origin: France, ca. 1930. Condition: excellent, no dings, no monograms. Dimensions: larger jigger, 3" tall; smaller jigger, 2-5/16" tall. Weight: 132.0 gr.

A classic figural sterling silver thimble jigger by Thomae & Co. The rim is engraved “Only A Thimble Full.” The interior retains a softly gilt surface. Several companies made variations of thimble jiggers, but those by Thomae are among the best because of their superior weight and workmanship.

• Origin: America, ca. 1935
• Condition: excellent, no dings or monograms
• Dimensions: 2” tall
• Weight: 35.6 grams

A classic figural sterling silver thimble jigger by Thomae & Co. The rim is engraved “Only A Thimble Full.” The interior retains its pale gilding. Several companies made variations of this jigger, but those by Thomae are among the best because of their superior weight and workmanship.

• Origin: America, ca 1935
• Condition: excellent, no dings or monograms
• Dimensions: 2” tall
• Weight: 42.4 grams

A classic mid-20th century French silver tastevin of traditional form. The bowl is decorated with angled godrons for evaluating white wines and small convex perles and larger concave cupules for use with red wines. The handle, also, is in the traditional snake form. Up until the mid-20th century, a few silversmiths in France were able to raise an entire tastevin from a single Napoleon III 5-franc coin. The work was accomplished solely with the aid of variously-sized hammers which were used to thin and spread out the original coin and a series of other tools used to form the decorations. They can often be identified by the the exact weight (always 32.5 grams before the addition of the handle). Only a handful of master silversmiths were able to create a tastevin in which the phrase “DIEU PROTEGE LA FRANCE” (“God protect France”), which originally appeared on the rim of the 5-franc coin, was still legible at the rim of the tastevin. The last silversmith with this documented ability stopped working in 1968. The tastevin is stamped with the “Minerve” mark for 800 silver and with an illegible maker’s mark.

Origin: France, ca. 1930. Condition: excellent. Size: 25/32” high; 2-3/4” diameter (excluding handle). Weight: 32.9 grams.