Catalog: Antiques: Decorative Art: Metals (283)

A fine mid-19th century French silver tastevin (wine taster), the base inset with an 1810 Italian silver coin from the reign of Emperor Napoleon I as King of Italy. The bottom edge of the bowl is decorated with curved, scalloped "godrons" which were intended to reflect light through white wine to judge clarity. This tastevin does not have the "cupules" ("ovoides") specifically intended to deepen the color of red wines. The sides are decorated with grapevines and clusters of fruit. The handle is formed as a coiled serpent--as style particularly popular in Burgundy. The whole is raised on a circular ropetwist foot. Napoleonic coins are rarely seen in tastevins, and this piece probably dates to the Second Empire when Napoleonic items were viewed with some nostalgia. Fully hallmarked.

Origin: France, ca. 1850. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Size: 3" diameter excluding handle. Weight: 72.3 grams.

Boxed set of six sterling silver fruit knives, with handles decorated in a detailed Art Nouveau floral pattern. The handles are marked "Sterling". The box is upholstered in dark green moire silk.

Origin: American, circa 1900. Condition: extremely minor wear to handles, plated blades are excellent. Size: 7-1/4" long.

Six sterling silver cocktail forks in Gorham's lovely 1899 "Cambridge" pattern. The handles are beautifully decorated with flowers, scrolls, and gadrooning. The backs are marked with Gorham's old hallmark, the patent date, and the retailer's mark "W.F. Van Arsdel".

Origin: America, circa 1900. Condition: excellent, crisp details, no monograms. Size: 5-7/16" long.

A set of six sterling silver demitasse or coffee spoons in Gorham's early (1870) "Swiss" pattern. The design is similar to Gorham's other early sterling patterns, with a decidedly classical decoration of anthemion leaves. The bowls have a matte finish which contrasts nicely with the handles. The backs are engraved with a period 3-letter monogram "LBE". The backs are marked with Gorham's early hallmarks.

Origin: America, circa 1870. Condition: excellent, no dings, sharp detail. Size: 4-9/32" long.

A wonderful boxed set of six 800 silver Jugendstil (“Art Nouveau”) demitasse or chocolate spoons, each featuring a scene from different Brothers Grimm fairy tales. The tales include “Bremen Town Musicians”, “The Frog Prince”, “Little Red Riding Hood”, “Hansel & Gretel”, “Sleeping Beauty”, and “Puss in Boots”. Bruckmann, one of the most important Imperial German silversmiths of the Jugendstil period, worked with many leading designers. In this case, the designer was Hugo Cauer who created the “Märchen” (“Fairy Tales”) line in 1903/04. Bruckmann and Cauer were responsible for the most important silver pieces entered into Germany’s display at the 1900 World Exposition in Paris. The “Fairy Tale” design occasionally appears on children’s table ware such as napkin rings or drinking cups, so it’s possible the spoons were intended to do double duty as chocolate spoons, as well. The spoons are presented in their original fitted box marked with the logo of the luxury jeweler Oscar Stodt. The back of each is stamped with Stodt’s retailer’s mark, as well as Bruckmann’s maker’s mark and appropriate hallmarks for 800 silver.

• Origin: Germany, ca. 1904.
• Condition: excellent, original gilding intact.
• Dimensions: spoons, 3-3/4” long.
• Weight: 55.6 grams.

A lovely set of six sterling silver strawberry forks in Lunt’s 1893 “Navarre” pattern. This pattern was actually developed by A. F. Towle & Sons, which eventually was purchased by Lunt Silversmiths. The handles are beautifully decorated in an asymmetric pattern of volutes, acanthus leaves and flowers. The slightly splayed double tines retain their original matte gilding. The backs are marked with the A.F. Towle hallmark and the retailer’s mark “G. Frank”.

Origin: America, ca. 1895. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, original gilding, no monograms. Size: 4-25/32” long. Weight: 52.0 grams.

Six elegant Victorian fruit or desert knives with mother of pearl handles and sterling silver ferules with triple-banded decoration in a vine motif. The scimitar-shaped blades are silverplate and are marked "A. Stinnells Co., Inc." American, circa 1890. Excellent condition; one blade has a very small spot of wear to the plating. 6" long.

Six pearl handled luncheon knives with sterling silver ferules. The ferules are decorated with a classic scrolling vine motif. The French-style blades are unusually long in relation to the pearl handles--a proportion that gives this set a particularly elegant appeal. The blades are marked with a "12" designating the highest quality of 19th century American silverplate. Pearl handled knives are more frequently found in the larger dinner size.

Origin: America, c. 1900. Condition: excelent. Size: 7-7/8".

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.

Beautiful set of six sterling silver seafood forks in terrific Art Nouveau pattern by Joseph Seymour. Each piece is covered from the tip of the handle to the very beginnings of the tines with curves and stylized chrysanthemum-like blossoms in the Japonaise style. The tines are nicely curved and barbed. The backs are hallmarked by Seymour.

Origin: America, ca. 1885. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, no monograms. Size: 6-1/8” long. Weight: 87.5 grams.

A wonderful set of six Victorian silverplate napkin rings. The outsides are decorated with two cherubs grasping baroque reserves framed with swirls of acanthus leaves, pendant bellflowers and other ornate decorative devices. The insides are brightly gilt. It is very unusual to find a complete matching set of Victorian napkin rings.

Origin: probably American, circa 1890. Condition: all original, no monograms, normal wear the the plating on the insides and outsides. Size: 1-5/8" wide; 1-7/8" diameter.

Six very nice sterling silver cocktail or seafood forks elegantly decorated on both the front and back sides. The backs are marked "Sterling Pat. Jan. 21 [18]'99". Unknown American maker.

Origin: American, circa 1899. Condition: excellent; no monograms. Size: 5-1/8" long.

Six lovely Victorian sterling silver cocktail forks decorated in a pattern of roses and foliage. The backs are also decorated and are hallmarked with a 4-leaf clover, but I cannot identify the maker. They are also marked "Sterling Pat. '92[1892]". Very nice quality.

Origin: America, circa 1892. Condition: excellent; period monogram "CLM". Size: 5-5/8" long.

An uncommon set of six nut picks, the mother of pearl handles attached to the silverplate picks with sterling silver ferules. The ferules are decorated with ropetwist borders flanking an ornate acanthus leaf pattern. In the Victorian era, fresh nuts would have been served alongside and cheese and fruit as a dessert course. The ferules are marked "Sterling".

Most sterling silver flatware services before 1900 had mother of pearl cutlery instead of knives that matched the rest of the service. Mother of pearl pieces such as a nut picks are considerable less common than knives.

Origin: America, ca. 1890. Condition: excellent, no plating loss. Size: 5-1/4".

Wonderful 7-piece toleware spice set comprised of a handled tray, four spice tins, and two spice tins with sifter tops. Two of the regular tin lids are decorated with a red and yellow pomegranate design; one has a red, yellow and green strawberry design; and one has a red, yellow and green tulip and flower design. The sifter lids are simply decorated with yellow and red arcs. The sides of all the tins are decorated with a squiggly yellow line, as are the sides of the tray. The handle of the tray is decorated with green foliage.

Origin: American, probably central Pennsylvania, 19th century. Condition: excellent; all the tins have wear to the lower third where they rub against the sides of the tray; all original finish with appropriate alligatoring; the lid of one tin is a bit loose, but all the others are very tight. Size: tray--5.5" x 8" x 4" tall; tins--2-7/8" tall x 2-5/8" diam.

A set of eight sterling silver fruit spoons in Gorham’s elegant 1910 “Buckingham” pattern. The handle is bordered by a series of intertwined scrolls before terminating in an acanthus leaf motif. The backs of the handles have decoration mirroring the fronts. The pattern is extremely similar to “Chantilly” and could easily be used with a Chantilly service. The backs are marked with Gorham’s early 20th century hallmarks.

Origin: America, ca. 1910. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, no monograms. Size: 5-25/32” long. Weight: 251.0 grams.

Eight sterling silver dessert or salad forks in Manchester's lovely 1910 "Southern Rose" pattern. The repousse decoration is similar to Kirk's "Repousse" and Stieff's "Rose".

Origin: America, circa 1910. Condition: excellent, no monograms. Size: 5-7/8" long.

An elegant and rare set of nine sterling silver demitasse spoons in Whiting’s highly desirable 1898 “Pompadour” pattern. The bowls have lemony traces of the original matte gilding. The handles are ornately decorated and have never been monogrammed. The backs are marked with Whiting’s hallmark.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent very sharp detail, fading of original gilding on bowls. Size: 3-7/8” long. Weight: 73.5 grams.