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

Lovely set of 12 sterling silver cocktail or seafood forks by Davis & Galt. The handles are heavily decorated with an unusual repousse paisley pattern. The workmanship is very nice. The backs are hallmarked by the maker and have the retailer’s mark for Bailey, Banks & Biddle.

Origin: America, ca. 1890. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, no monograms. Size: 5-15/16” long. Weight: 179.5 grams.

Lovely sterling silver berry or casserole spoon in Towle's 1890 "Albany" pattern. Very Victorian in its styling, the decoration makes good use of delicate flowers, swirling foliage, and a beautifully double-scalloped and matte gilt bowl. The back is marked with Towle's hallmark.

Origin: America, circa 1890s. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, period monogram "H"(?). Size: 9-1/8" long.

Large Victorian sterling silver meat serving fork, the tines with matte gilding and bright-cut engraving. The reverse is marked "925 Sterling 1000". Nice weight. Unknown American maker.

Origin: American, circa 1890. Condition: excellent; no monogram. Size: 8-1/8" long.

A lovely Victorian parcel-gilt sterling silver demitasse spoon, the bowl decorated with enameled Easter lilies. The back is marked “Sterling”.

Origin: America, ca. 1890. Condition: excellent, original enamel and gilding intact, sharp detail. Size: 3-3/8” long. Weight: 4.5 grams.

Lovely Victorian pickle fork with a mother of pearl handle, a sterling ferule and silverplated tines.

Origin: England, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent. Size: 7-1/4" 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.

Ornate sterling silver meat serving fork featuring a heavily scrolled handle with matte-gilt, bright-cut tines. The back is marked "925 Sterling 1000". Many late 19th century silver makers did not otherwise mark their wares.

Origin: America, circa 1890s. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, no monogram. Size: 7-1/2" long.

A nice sterling silver long pickle/olive fork in the "Nautilus" pattern by Blackinton. The handle is ornately decorated with floral and shell motifs. The tines are parcel matte gilt and have foliate decoration at the shoulders to match the handle. The handle is monogrammed "L" on the front and has the date "[18]98" on the back.

Origin: America, 1898. Condition: excellent, original gilding intact, sharp detail. Size: 6-7/8" long. Weight: 14.0 grams.

Sterling silver bonbon spoon in Baker-Manchester’s 1900 “Spartan” pattern. The wonderful design incorporates a knight’s helmet with exuberant feathers and foliage. The matte-finished bowl has both pierced and bright-cut decoration. The reverse is marked with Baker-Manchester’s hallmark and the patent date.

Origin: America, circa 1900. Condition: very good, very light wear, no monogram. Size: 5-1/2” long.

Ornate sterling silver meat serving fork, the handle decorated with shells, scrolls, roses and beads, and the matte-gilded tines decorated with bright cut engraving. The reverse is marked "925Sterlin1000", a marking frequently seen on American sterling silver before silversmith's were required to identify their work.

Origin: America, circa 1895. Condition: excellent, period monogram "G". Size: 7-3/4" long.

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.

A lovely Victorian sterling silver sugar sifter in Whiting’s 1882 “Antique Lily Engraved” pattern. The simply-shaped handle is decorated with bright-cut engraving of foliage with a spray of lilies-of-the-valley cascading across the end. The bowl is matte gilt and pierced in a pleasant design that does not compete with the restrained decoration of the handle. Sugar sifters were used to sprinkle sugar over fruit during the dessert service, and are not terribly common. The reverse has a period inscription, “Wade”, and is stamped with Whiting’s hallmark.

Origin: America, ca. 1885. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, gilding intact. Size: 5-7/8” long. Weight: 25.0 grams.

A phenomenal Victorian sterling silver soup ladle in Whiting’s “No. 26” pattern. The top of the handle features incredibly detailed peony foliage. The twist stem leads to the fluted and scalloped bowl. At the junction of the bowl and stem, a full-blown peony blossom is delicately engraved into the silver. The bowl is parcel gilt. “No. 26” is an extremely rare pattern. It is always very finely made and exceptionally heavy, even by Whiting’s standards. The pattern is a multi-motif design, so each piece has a slightly different, but related, decoration on the handle. The back of the handle is engraved with the original owner’s name. The back is also marked with Whiting’s old hallmark and the pattern number.

Origin: America, ca. 1895. Condition: excellent, the original gilding is slightly faded. Size: 13” long. Weight: 210.0 grams.

A beautiful Victorian sterling silver souvenir spoon from Saratoga Springs, New York. The handle depicts a Native American Chief wearing a feathered war bonnet, his bust surrounded by ears of corn and foliage. The bowl has a design picturing a young Native American man drinking from the natural springs and bears the legend “High Rock Spring Saratoga”. The bowl retains its original gilt surface. The back of the spoon is decorated with a tomahawk, bow and quiver of arrows. The stem is marked sterling and has the hallmark for Howard (1878-1902).

Origin: America, ca. 1890. Condition: near mint. Size: 4-3/16” long. Weight: 11.4 grams.

A lovely and unusual Victorian sterling silver jelly knife in Towle’s 1880 “No. 128” pattern. Also known as “No. 28”, this pattern is characterized by a twisted handle, accented with beautiful bright-cut engraving. The serving end is shaped in the form of a leaf and is matte-gilt to highlight the floral engraving. Originally intended to serve savory jellies, the piece could now be used for pastries. The back is hallmarked by Towle and has the pattern number.

Origin: America, ca. 1880. Condition: excellent, original gilding intact, there may be a slight bend toward the tip of the serving end but it’s difficult to be certain because of the naturalistic form of the bowl. Size: 8-3/8” long. Weight: 45.0 grams.

Lovely Victorian sterling silver pickle fork, the handle decorated with shells and roses. The back is marked "925 Sterling 1000". Prior to 1916, many American silversmiths did not mark their flatware with their names. Unknown maker.

Origin: America, circa 1895. Condition: excellent, no monogram. Size: 5-5/8" long.

A very rare and elegant Victorian sterling silver pie knife in Gorham’s 1894 “Imperial Chrysanthemum” pattern. The handle is decorated with an ornate design of chrysanthemum blossoms and foliage that extends down onto the blade and shoulders of the blade. The back of the handle is decorated with a complementary design. Pie knives or pie servers are difficult to find in the better patterns. The back is marked with Gorham’s older hallmark and also has the patent date, indicating that the piece was made during the period.

Origin: America, ca. 1895. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, no monogram. Size: 9-1/8” long.

A lovely sterling silver powder box by Gorham. The entire body and matching lid are covered in repousse decoration of swirling acanthus leaves. The sides flare out in an elegant curve that is continued in the lid which rises to point in the middle. The bottom is hallmarked with Gorham’s old mark, the pattern number “670” and the date mark for 1890.

Origin: America, 1890. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, no dings, original interior gilding, no monogram. Size: 3-5/8” diameter; 3” tall. Weight: 96.5 grams.

Lovely sterling silver berry spoon in Towle's 1894 "Princess" pattern. The handle is heavily decorated with various floral motifs. The matte-gilt bowl is decorated with floral bright-cut engraving. The reverse is marked with Towle's old hallmark and the design patent date.

Origin: America, circa 1890. Condition: near mint, sharp detail, reverse is engraved "Osgood". Size: 7-5/8" long.

A very nice Imperial Russian enameled silver spoon by Gustav Klingert. The bowl is beautifully decorated in five shades of opaque cloisonné enamels and in translucent red and amethyst. The design I modified floral pattern with a Persian-style reserve. The handle is finished in a fish-scale enameled pattern. Exposed areas of silver are stippled and gilt. The interior of the bowl is engraved “Moscow”, indicating that the spoon was sold as a souvenir to an American or English visitor. The handle is fully hallmarked with the city mark for Moscow and Klingert’s maker’s mark. The date mark is obscured, but the assay master Lev Oleks was active only between 1890 and 1896.

Origin: Moscow, 1890-96. Condition: excellent, no enamel damage, gilding intact. Size: 4-7/32” long. Weight: 15.9 grams.

A classic 19th century French silver tastevin of traditional form by master silversmith Alexandre Vauger. This example is of small size, intended for use in evaluating cognac, Armagnac or calvados instead of wine. Unlike the “perles” and “godrons” found on the walls of a wine taster, a cognac taster more accurately reflects the liquid’s color using a smooth surface. Similarly, cognac tasters are smaller than wine tasters because the alcohol is considerably stronger and a smaller taste is more appropriate. The bottom of the interior features a partial image of Hercules flanked by female figures representing “Liberty” and “Equality” that once appeared on the 5-franc coin of the Third Republic. The back of the coin, dated 1876, is visible on the bottom of the tastevin. The taster is finished with a classic engraved double serpent handle, the heads grasping the apple of temptation.

Accomplished French silversmiths prided themselves on the ability to raise an entire tastevin from a single 5-franc coin, using only hammers and a few other hand tools to thin, spread and shape the flat coin into a finished tastevin. Only a handful of masters were capable of raising the tastevin with the words “DIEU PROTÉGÉ LA FRANCE” (“God protect France”), originally found around the outer edge of the coin, still visible along the top edge of the tastevin. The last silversmith proven to have mastered this skill stopped working in 1968.

This tastevin is stamped with French silver hallmarks and has the master silversmith’s mark for Alexandre Vauger, who worked in Paris 1884-1887.

Origin: France, 1884-87. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 48 x 66 mm (1-7/8 x 2-5/8 in). Weight: 30.9 grams.

Very rare Imperial Russian silver child's fork with vermeil and engraved floral decoration. In fact, I've never before seen a piece of Russian children's flatware. The maker's hallmark on the back is slightly obscured by the design, but the assayer's mark (AA/1895), the standard mark (84), and the city mark (Moscow) are very clear.

Origin: Moscow, 1895. Condition: mint. Size: 4-3/4" long.

A fine early 19th century silver tastevin in the 17th century Burgundian style, inset with a Louis XIV silver ecu coin. The coin is surrounded by a “couronne” of 27 perles from which extend elongated “godrons”. These elongated grooves, without any corresponding circular grooves typically meant the tastevin was intended for use only with white wines. The godrons are further enhanced with small bunches of grapes. The handle, in a stylized design of two entwined snakes, with the heads and beaks of ducks, is also typical of 17th century tastevins. The rim is engraved with the name of the original owner, Vincent Nuits. The tastevin was created by the Orfevre Parrod, an important Dijon silver maker founded in 1816, and is hallmarked appropriately.

After the final defeat of Napoleon, the Bourbon monarchy was restored to France, and reminders of the previous reigns appeared everywhere in French decorative arts. This coin, dating to 1652, depicts the boy king Louis XIV surrounded by the Latin inscription translated as “Louis XIV, by grace of God, king of France and Navarre”. The reverse is decorated with the royal crown over a shield of fleurs-de-lys. Though a 17th century tastevin would never have been made with a coin in the bottom, the combination of these two elements was a masterful stroke by Parrod and makes this tastevin a particularly desirable example.

Origin: Dijon, France, ca. 1840. Condition: ecellent, sharp detail. Size: 2-13/16” diameter (excluding handle); 3/4” tall. Weight: 72.7 grams.

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.

A classic 19th century French second standard (800/1000 pure silver) silver tastevin of traditional form and the bottom inset with a silver coin from the reign of Louis XV. The sides of the tastevin are decorated with the traditional raised “perles,” recessed “cupules,” and elongated “godrons” for assessing the depth of color and concentration of a wine. The coin, dating to 1732, depicts the profile of the king surrounded by the Latin inscription “Louis XV, by grace of God, king of France and Navarre.” The taster is completed with an especially fine double-snake handle. While double snakes are the traditional handle form for Burundian tastevins, the pretzel-like shape and the realistic appearance of the entwined snakes is a most unusual treatment. The handle and bowl are stamped with French 2nd standard silver hallmarks and the bowl also has an unidentified master silversmith's mark.

• Origin: France, ca. 1880.
• Condition: very good; a small ding to one side of the bowl; typical wear to the front of the coin; reverse side of the coin has sharp detail.
• Dimensions: 2-13/16” x 3-5/8” x 3/4".
• Weight: 56.4 grams.

A very attractive late 19th century first standard (950/1000 pure silver) wine taster by Parisian silversmith Louis Coignet. The tastevin is decorated in the Bourgogne style with an applied handle in snake form. The serpent is beautifully decorated with engraved scales and eyes. The sides are enhanced with repousse and chased decoration of grape clusters and vine leaves. This example is classic form, but has a very steep convex bottom and no “godrons” or “perles” along the sides. These adjustments to the style suggest the tastevin was specifically intended for use with white wines.

Origin: France, 1889-1893. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Dimensions: 3 x 4-1/16 in. Weight: 70.5 gr.

A classic 19th century French 2nd standard (900/1000 pure silver) tastevin, inset at the base with a 1702 coin bearing the likeness of King Louis XIV surrounded by the legend translated as "Louis XIV by grace of god King of France and Navarre." The bowl of the tastevin is finished with the typical arrangement of "perles" and elongated "godrons" designed to create reflections in the wine to better judge its color and clarity. The handle is formed from a pair of intertwined snakes grasping an apple in their mouths, an allusion to the Garden of Eden. The handle is stamped with appropriate French hallmarks and with an unidentified master's mark.

Origin: France, ca. 1850. Condition: excellent, a few extremely minor nicks at the rim. Dimensions: 2-13/16" diameter (excluding handle). Weight: 58.1 grams.

A classic 19th century 2nd standard (800/1000 pure silver) tastevin, inset at the base with a 1669 coin bearing the likeness of King Louis XIV surrounded by "Louis XIV by grace of God King of France and Navarre." The obverse of the coin can be seen from the bottom of the tastevin. The coin is surrounded by the typical pattern of "perles" and elongated "godrons" designed to create reflections in the wine to better judge its color and clarity. The handle is formed as a pair of intertwined snakes grasping an apple in their mouths as an allusion to the Garden of Eden. The tastevin is stamped with French silver marks and with an illegible maker's mark.

• Origin: France, ca 1840.
• Conditions: very good; a slight flattening to the rim opposite the handle; coin has significant wear as expected of a 350 year-old coin.
• Dimensions: 3-3/8 xx 4-1/4" x 7/8".
• Weight: 95.0 grams.

A classic second standard (800/1000 pure) silver tastevin from the Loire Valley of France. The origins of tastevins can often be identified by the tastevin’s shape. In this case, the bowl is rather shallow and completely without decoration. The handle is formed in the shape of a thin, curvy snake, but is worked without extra decoration such as scales or details to the head. This example is rather early, as is evidenced by signs of hand hammering and the small lathe mark in the middle of the bowl. The bottom is stamped with the original owner’s name, P. Roux. These classic tastevins from the Loire Valley are charming for their simplicity. Stamped with French silver marks and an unidentified maker's mark.

• Origin: Loire Valley, France, ca. 1840
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 2-7/8” diameter (excluding handle)
• Weight: 29.9 grams

A very attractive French silver (1st standard=950/1000 pure silver) tastevin, the bottom inset with a 1785 silver coin showing the bust of King Louis XVI. This tastevin departs slightly from the traditional form, with the fluted “godrons” placed immediately around the coin and the sides finished with very nice repousse decoration of grapes, vines and leaves. The tastevin is finished with a single coiled snake handle. Tastevins set with royal coins seem to have been popular during various times in the 19th century when France was ruled over by a king or emperor. Tastevins with Louis XVI coins are not often encountered, however. The tastevin is stamped with French silver marks and with an unidentified master silversmith mark.

Origin: France, ca. 1860. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 7.9 x 10.5 cm (3-1/8 x 4-1/8 in). Weight: 105.4 gr.

A lovely first standard (950/1000) silver tastevin, the bottom inset with a 1658 silver coin depicting the youthful image of Louis XIV surrounded by text translated as "Louis XIV, by grace of God, King of France and Navarre." The sides of the tastevin a decorated with clusters of grapes and elegantly curved godrons in the style typical of Orfevre Parrod. Coin inserts, however, are unusual in Parrod tastevins. The handle is worked in a simplified snake motif typical of Dijon. The handle is stamped with Parrod's hallmark.

Origin: France, ca. 1850. Dimensions: 2-9/16" diameter (excluding handle). Weight: 59.3 gr.

Elegant Napoleon III ivory letter opener and book mark with a French silver handle with repousse decoration. The piece serve as a paper cutter or letter opener, but the double blade can slip over the edge of a page to serve as a book mark. The handle is decorated in a foral pattern and has a reserve which was never monogramed. The end has a loop so that the opener/mark could have a ribbon attached or so that it could be worn from a chatelaine. The handle is marked with French silver hallmarks.

Origin: France, ca. 1870. Condition: excellent, a tiny nick at the very point of the ivory. Size: 5-29/32" long.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS ITEM CANNOT BE SHIPPED OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES.

A classic 19th century French silver tastevin of traditional form by master silversmith Alexandre Vauger. This example is of small size, intended for use in evaluating cognac, Armagnac or calvados instead of wine. Unlike the “perles” and “godrons” found on the walls of a wine taster, a cognac taster more accurately reflects the liquid’s color using a smooth surface. Similarly, cognac tasters are smaller than wine tasters because the alcohol is considerably stronger and a smaller taste is more appropriate. The bottom of the interior features a partial image of Hercules flanked by female figures representing “Liberty” and “Equality” that once appeared on the 5-franc coin of the Third Republic. The back of the coin, dated 1873, is visible on the bottom of the tastevin. The taster is finished with a classic engraved double serpent handle, the heads grasping the apple of temptation.

Accomplished French silversmiths prided themselves on the ability to raise an entire tastevin from a single 5-franc coin, using only hammers and a few other hand tools to thin, spread and shape the flat coin into a finished tastevin. Only a handful of masters were capable of raising the tastevin with the words “DIEU PROTEGE LA FRANCE” (“God protect France”), originally found around the outer edge of the coin, still visible along the top edge of the tastevin. The last silversmith proven to have mastered this skill stopped working in 1968.

This tastevin is stamped with French silver hallmarks and has the master silversmith’s mark for Alexandre Vauger, who worked in Paris 1884-1887.

Origin: France, 1884-87. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 48 x 66 mm (1-7/8 x 2-5/8 in). Weight: 30.9 grams.

An unusually nice silverplated studs box, the top decorated with repousse chrysanthemums. The only clue to the box’s purpose of holding a gentleman’s shirt studs and cufflinks is the figural stud finial on the top. The bottom is marked for the Middletown Plate Co. This is a much more decorative example than most.

Origin: America, 1876-99. Condition: excellent, hardly any wear to the plating. Size; 2-5/8” diameter; 1-3/4” tall.

A very fine 12-piece set of gilt silver and mother of pearl dessert, fruit or cheese knives presented in their original fitted box. The tapered mother of pearl handles are tipped with silver finials and ferules decorated in a Louis XVI-style ribbon and reed motif. Most similar sets have plated blades, but these are silver. The silver is gilt, a process that is decorative, but also serves to prevent corrosion from the salts in cheeses which were often served in France as a dessert course. The gilding has faded to a very nice, light lemony color. The interior lid of the velvet- and silk-lined box is marked by the maker, “J. Fayard/Fabricant Orfèvre Joaillier/St Etienne”.

Origin: France, ca. 1860. Condition: knives are excellent, no dings, no cracks, normal fading of the gilding; the box shows considerable wear and has a slightly warped lid. Size: 7-1/2” long.

A superb late 19th century first standard (950/1000 pure) silver berry spoon with a shell-form gilt bowl. These spoons were originally intended for serving strawberries. The front of the handle is decorated with a twisting wreath of holly leaves and berries, and the back with a similar wreath of thistles. The bowl is beautifully worked in the shape of a scallop shell. Improvements in agriculture and railways made strawberries widely available to the wealthy classes in the 1870s. Special implements such as this were needed to compete the experience. Today, it could be used for any sort of desert or even hors d’oeuvres. The spoon is stamped with French silver marks and with an illegible maker’s mark. The quality of workmanship is easily on par with the great makers such as Odiot and Puiforcat.

• Origin: France, ca. 1880.
• Dimensions: 8-3/4” long.
• Condition: mint; gilding completely intact.
• Weight: 99.5 grams.