Catalog: Antiques: Decorative Art: Metals: Silver (236)

Exquisite pierced sterling silver bride’s basket vase by Frank W. Smith. The basket flares out from a narrow base decorated with scrolling acanthus leaves. The sides are decorated with an intricate pierced motif and the upper border repeats the decoration at the foot. The handles is pierced and heavily decorated with scrolls and foliate designs that elaborate on the simpler foot and lip rims. The basket retains its original silverplate liner. Frank Smith was known for very high quality and superior materials. U.S. embassies used one of his flatware patterns for official diplomatic dinners. The bottom has Smith’s older hallmark, the retailer’s mark “Mermod & Jaccard” (St. Louis), “Sterling”, and the pattern number 2214.

Origin: America, 1892-1904. Condition: excellent, normal wear to plating of liner, no monogram. Size: 9-1/4” tall; 7-1/2” wide. Weight (without liner): 270.0 grams.

A beautiful sterling silver vase in the Art Nouveau taste by Shreve & Co. The sinuous trumpet form body is decorated with gorgeous applied silver iris blossoms and buds accented with engraved foliage. The body rises to a ruffled rim that mimics the curvy lines of the floral decoration. The foot is decorated at compass points with iris blossoms, their stems forming the rolled bottom edge. The bottom is hallmarked by Shreve & Co. with the post-1894 mark.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, no dings, no monograms. Size: 12-3/16” tall. Weight: 526.0 grams.

An elegant sterling silver pierced olive spoon with an ornately pierced gilt bowl and and the handle decorated with wild roses enclosed in a curving border. The back is marked “Sterling Pat. 1903”.

Origin: America, ca. 1903. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, original gilding intact, no monogram. Dimensions: 6-3/8” long. Weight: 13.4 grams.

Outstanding sterling silver soup ladle in a repousse pattern. The design is a very finely worked pattern of roses and other flowers and foliage. The bowl is deeply lobed and has a scalloped edge. The pattern is similar to Kirk’s “Repousse”, but not identical. The back is marked “Sterling” but is not marked with a maker’s name (a frequent practice until around 1910). Clearly, the ladle is a Baltimore piece, and could be the work of Schofield, Warner, Jacobi or Kirk.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, no monogram. Size: 11-1/2” long. Weight: 124.5 grams.

A classic sterling silver wine coaster with a turned mahogany base. The walls are simply decorated with vertical piercing and the front is engraved with the crest and motto of Scotland's Melville clan, an ancient family from whom author Herman Melville was descended. Tested and guaranteed sterling silver.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: very good, a few small dings to the underside of the bottom edge. Dimensions: 5" diameter; 1-1/2" tall.

Elegant sterling silver large berry spoon in Whiting's wonderful 1896 "Dresden" pattern. The handle is completely covered on both sides with a complex floral pattern against a lightly stippled background. The bowl has scalloped edges and an elegant repousse pattern. The original gilding on the bowl has faded to a faint lemony hue. The back is marked with Whiting's hallmark and "Pat. Apr. 28th 1896", indicating that this is an older piece.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, all original, no monogram. Size: 7-3/4" long. Weight: 50.5 grams.

Outstanding sterling silver ice cream slice with the fabulous Art Nouveau "Poppy" pattern by Baker Manchester. Both the front and back are beautifully detailed. The blade is lightly matte gilt. During the Victorian era, ice cream was served in a loaf shape, and implements like this were used to slice off pieces for serving. The form often did "double duty" as a fish server. The back is stamped with the hallmark for the Baker Manchester Silver Co. (Providence, RI), a company famous for its ornate serving pieces.

Origin: America, circa 1900. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, no monogram. Size: 9" long. Weight: 54.75 grams.

A wonderful Art Nouveau sterling silver cracker scoop in Blackinton’s 1904 “Daisy” pattern. The handle, decorated with flowers and foliage, nicely accents the ruffled edge of the bowl. Cracker scoops were originally used to serve small crackers similar to today’s oyster crackers. Now, the piece could be used to serve a variety of foods. Blackinton made a small line of very good sterling silver flatware in the Art Nouveau style. All U.S. embassies worldwide use Blackinton flatware for formal occasions. The back is marked with Blackinton’s hallmark.

Origin: America, ca. 1905. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, no monogram. Size: 9-13/16” long. Weight: 133.0 grams.

An elegant sterling silver olive serving spoon in an unnamed floral pattern by Baker Manchester Silver Co. This maker was especially known for their elegant silver serving pieces instead of full flatware services. The Art Nouveau style is evidenced by the trio of fully-opened roses that decorated the tip and center of the curving handle. The design is repeated in the scalloped and pierced bowl, and is shown in reverse on the back side of the spoon. The bowl retains its original matte gilding. The back is hallmarked by Baker Manchester.

Origin: America, ca. 1905. Condition: excellent, sharp details, original gilding, no monogram. Size: 6-1/2" long. Weight: 14.5 grams.

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.

Gilt sterling silver replica of the anointing spoon used for the coronation of English monarchs. The original spoon, dating from the 12th Century, is the oldest continuously used piece in the entire English royal regalia. The spoon is used to apply holy anointing oil onto the sovereign during his or her coronation. This replica commemorates the coronation of George V. The handle is stamped with the appropriate hallmarks for London, 1910 and the maker’s mark “CS/FS”.

Origin: London, England, 1910. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, original gilding. Size: 4-1/4” long. Weight: 12.0 grams.

A very nice sterling silver pincushion and sewing box by Tiffany & Co. The pierced sterling silver walls enclose a sewing box (or jewelry box) with two hinged tops that serve as pincushions. The current dark purple velvet is a replacement, but is placed over the original box structure. The pierced handle has an area that can be monogrammed (never been monogrammed). The whole is raised on bun feet. The bottom is marked with the Tiffany hallmark in use 1902-07.

Origin: America, 1902-07. Condition: excellent, velvet replaced, never monogrammed. Size: 6-7/8” x 3-1/2” x 4-1/2” 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 boxed set of sterling silver demitasse spoons by Paye & Baker. The set comprises two each of three different floral themes, all worked in the same intaglio style with glossy flowers and foliage against a stippled background. Two of the spoons are decorated with a pattern of wild roses, two with morning glories and two with pansies. The edges of the stems and handles are shaped to match the patterns. The bowls are finished with matte gilding. The backs are hallmarked by Paye & Baker and are marked "Sterling". The company made only a small range of products, but their Art Nouveau motifs were expertly designed.

• Origin: America, ca. 1900.
• Dimensions: 4" long.
• Weight: 38.8 grams.
• Condition: spoons, excellent condition, typical light fading of gilding on bowls; box has typical discoloration and wear.

A wonderful sterling silver footed basket by Gorham. The edges are decorated in an ornate Victorian floral motif that is echoed on the handle. The scrolled feet are accented with a shell motif. The rounded sides of the basket have a superb pierced floral design that sets this basket apart from most others. The basket is of the very finest quality made by Gorham in the Edwardian era. The basket would be ideal for a small floral arrangements or potpourri. The bottom is hallmarked with one of Gorham’s earlier marks and the date code for 1908.

Origin: America, 1908. Condition: excellent, a very slight bend to the handle. Size: 7-13/16” x 5-5/8” x 5-1/2” tall. Weight: 217.5 grams.

A lovely set of six sterling silver demitasse spoons in the "Floral" pattern by Tiffany & Co. This lovely Victorian spoons feature a different old-fashioned flower on each handle. The tip of each handle is the flower blossom, while the neck is fashioned as the plant stem and foliage. The flowers represented are marigold, clover, daisy, iris, violet, and wild rose. The unusual elongated bowls are similar to those on egg spoons, and retain their original matte gilding. The backs are marked "Tiffany & Co. Stg."

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Size: 4-1/16" long. Weight: 52.4 gr.

A gorgeous boxed set of 12 sterling silver demitasse spoons in the “Wild Rose” variation of the “Vine” pattern. The spoons have gilt bowls in the elongated shape often seen in Tiffany demitasse spoons. The bowls enhanced with soft matte gilding. Each is stamped with the Tiffany mark used 1873-1891. The spoons are presented in their original fitted box lined in “Tiffany blue” silk and embossed with the company’s logo. The box includes Tiffany’s original Paris location, dating it to the period 1878-1910

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

Origin: America, ca 1880. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, gilding intact; box's hinge side has been reinforced with archival bookbinding tape. Dimensions: spoons, 4” long. Weight: 132.8 grams.

A very fine berry or casserole spoon in John R. Wendt's "Medallion" pattern. The handle features an oval reserve centered with a medallion profile of the Greek goddess Pallas Athena. The elongated bowl is beautifully scalloped. The back of the medallion has a period monogram "A" and the stem is marked with the retailer's mark for Ball, Black & Co. and with "925" for sterling. Wendt did not use his own hallmark in this period.

Origin: America, ca. 1965. Condition: excellent sharp detail. Size: 8-3/4" long. Weight: 63.0 grams.