Catalog: Vintage Arts: Decorative Art: Metals (215)

A very nice Arts & Crafts bronze round tray with verdigris patina by Carl Sorensen. The surface is decorated in uneven concentric rings of darker and lighter green mottled patination, separated by thin bands of polished bronze. The outer edge is finished with a pair of cast handles in a pattern similar to Georg Jensen's "Blossom" design. Little is known about Sorensen other than that he worked in the Philadelphia area around 1900 and his pieces may have been retailed at Tiffany & Co. The bottom of the tray is marked "Bronze CS" and "Carl Sorensen". The handles are marked "1196".

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, fine original patina. Size: 13" diameter (15" at handles).

A vintage sterling silver vermouth dispenser in the form of a syringe by Gorham. These were called “Martini Spikes” when sold by Gorham in the 1960’s. The functioning plunger allows vermouth to be drawn up into the syringe and then dispensed in precisely-calibrated medical dosages into your favorite cocktail. The syringe originally cost $10 as is indicated on the original order form that accompanies this example. It also includes the original fitted box (though in poor condition).

Origin: America, 1967-70. Condition: excellent (except box), no monograms or dings. Size: 6-1/4” long.

A wonderful heavy sterling silver double jigger by modernist silversmith Alphonse La Paglia. The two tapered vessels are joined by a series of silver spheres and rings that are reportedly intended to represent flower bulbs and roots. The overall appearance is severe and very elegant. La Paglia originally worked in the U.S. for Georg Jensen USA, then at International Silver beginning in 1952 until his death the following year. His designs were produced until 1957. The jigger is marked with one of La Paglia's hallmarks used at International and with the pattern number 116.

Origin: America, 1952-57. Condition: excellent, light ding on one edge; no monograms. Size: 3-32/32" tall. Weight: 11.0 grams.

A fine sterling silver double jigger in an Art Deco pattern by Tiffany & Co. The austere style is decorated only with an incised band around each lip of the cone-shaped vessels. This severe geometric style is typical of Art Deco wares produced by Tiffany. The jigger is fully hallmarked by Tiffany and is stamped with the date mark used 1907-47.

Origin: America, ca. 1925. Condition: very good, one rim very slightly out-of-round, no monograms. Size: 4-3/4” tall. Weight: 89.0 grams.

A sterling silver vermouth dispenser in the form of a watering can by Cartier. When tipped, the dispenser lightly sprinkles just a drip 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 flagship store.

Origin: America, ca. 1955. Condition: excellent. Size: 3” tall. Weight: 48.8 grams.

A sterling silver corkscrew by International Silver in one of the company’s 1930s Art Deco designs. Clearly patterned after the popular Scandinavian designs of the period, this design is very similar to “Royal Danish”, “Sonja” and “Norse”. The handle is marked with International’s older hallmark and the pattern number “NX14”.

Origin: America, ca. 1940. Condition: excellent, no dings, sharp details. Size: handle width, 4-5/16”; length, 4-5/8”.

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.

An unusual mid-Century Taxco version of the classis sterling silver thimble jigger. Like most Mexican silver of the era, this piece has tremendous weight and a simple charm. The rim is engraved “Just A Thimbleful 1-1/4”. The bottom bears the hallmark of A. Dominguez and the Eagle stamp used in the late 1950s.

Origin: Mexico, ca. 1955. Condition: excellent, no dings. Dimensions: 1-11/16” tall. Weight: 41.4 gr.

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 rare silverplate cocktail recipe disk by Napier. The silverplate case holds a celluloid dial that can be rotated to show printed recipes for twenty classic cocktails. A jump bail allows the disk to be hung by a chain around a cocktail shaker or decanter. The rim is marked "Napier Pat. Pend." We've never seen this particular Napier design before.

Origin: America, ca. 1935. Condition: very good, very minor plating wear as is typical of Napier pieces. Dimensions: 2" diameter.

A rare, complete set of sterling silver demitasse spoons in the "Flowers of the Months" pattern by Tiffany & Co. presented in their original fitted case. The finial of each spoon features an illustration of a different seasonal flower such as a holly, clover, iris, pansy, poppy, etc. The bowls are parcel gilt. The back of the spoons are stamped with the Tiffany hallmark used 1907-1947. These spoons were made for only a short duration and complete sets are quite difficult to find. The inside of the original case is stamped "Tiffany & Co. New-York Paris London".

Origin: America, ca. 1926. Condition: spoons are mint condition, the outside of the box shows some wear and discoloration to the silk covering. Size: 4-11/16" long. Weight: 204.0 grams.

A rare vintage sterling silver figural jigger in the form of a swing-handled fire bucket. The side is engraved “Fire Water”. The interior is gilt. The bottom is marked “Lunt Sterling 15”.

Origin: America, ca. 1935. Size: 2” tall to rim; 3-1/4” tall to top of handle. Weight: 32.3 grams.

A classic sterling silver double jigger, the stem enhanced with incised lines. The jigger is marked "Sterling".

Origin: America, ca. 1960. Condition: excellent, no dings or monograms. Size: 3-5/16" tall. Weight: 55.9 grams.

A superb set of four Art Deco chrome shot glasses, each with a different color of opaque enamel at the rim, enclosed in a fitted leather case by Newey. Newey was a major English maker of leather goods and a supplier to top-level retailers such as Harrod's. The case is embossed with Newey's logo and each of the shot glasses is marked "Made In Germany."

Origin: Germany/England, ca. 1930. Condition: virtually mint; no dings, no scrapes to the leather. Size: shot glasses, 1-3/4" tall; case, 2-11/16" tall.

A sterling silver double jigger in International's classic1939 Art Deco "Royal Danish" pattern. The jigger is marked with one of International's older hallmarks. The double jiggers in this pattern are difficult to find.

Origin: America, ca. 1945. Condition: very good, one pinpoint to the side and a few pinpoints on the rim visible upon close inspection, no monogram. Weight: 65.5 grams. Size: 4-9/32" tall.

A good bronze footed trumpet vase by Carl Sorensen. The surface is patinated in a dark mottled green and is enhanced with parallel engraved lines forming bands decorated in a darker green patination. The small foot makes this one of Sorensen's more unusual vase designs. Sorensen made a variety of decorative metalwares, but little is known about him. He worked in Pennsylvania, and his pieces were possibly sold by Roycroft and Tiffany. The base is signed "Carl Sorensen" and also has his hallmark.

Origin: America, ca. 1930. Condition: excellent, a slightly flattened area along the upper rim is just barely visible when seen from the right angle. Size: 6-1/2" tall.

Superb and very rare copper bowl in the form of three bound leaves by acclaimed silversmith Alfredo Sciarrotta. Most of Sciarrotta’s work was in sterling silver, but he did make a limited line of copper and brass wares early in his career. The designer’s work is instantly recognizable from the quality of workmanship, the heaviness of the material, and of course the naturalistic shapes accented with delicately curling edges and engraved veining. The copper dishes have more realistic appearance than the works in silver, with more detail along the edges of the leaves and in the veining. The dish is raised on three brass ball feet.

Sciarrotta was smuggled out of Italy into the US during World War II to work on submarine technology. Afterwards he settled in Newport, RI and created a small line of hand-made sterling silver hollowware. These were retailed in his own shop and eventually by a few select stores including Shreve Crump & Low, Gorham, Bailey Banks & Biddle, and Cartier. This copper example has the earlier and less common hallmark that Sciarrotta used only at his own studio. Sciarrotta’s designs are in several museum collections including the Smithsonian.

Origin: America, ca. 1948. Condition: excellent, no dings or monograms, excellent patina. Size: 9-7/8” diameter; 3-1/8” tall. Weight: 565.0 grams.

A handsome sterling silver Art Deco double jigger by Thomae & Co. Each cup is simply enhanced with a single raised band for Art Deco austerity. The rim is fully hallmarked.

Origin: America, ca. 1935. Condition: excellent, no dings or monograms. Size: 3-3/4" tall. Weight: 60.7 grams.