Catalog: Antiques: Decorative Art (485)

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.

A rare enameled beaker made as a souvenir of the 1896 coronation of Imperial Russia’s last monarchs, Czar Nicholas II and Czarina Alexandra Feodorovna. One side of the beaker features the Imperial double-headed eagle and the reverse shows the Imperial cipher. The remainder of the body is decorated with traditional Russian strapwork. The beakers were to be given away to the public on the Khodinka field in Moscow. When the gates were opened, there was a great rush to get to the cups, and hundreds of people were trampled to death. Shortly after, the cup became known as the “Blood Cup” or “Cup of Sorrows”. The incident was thought at the time to be a bad omen for the future of the Imperial couple—an estimation that proved unfortunately correct. These beakers are often in very bad condition, but this one is excellent, with just a small enamel nick on the rim, light rust spots in the interior bottom and light wear to the gilding on the rim.

Origin: Russia, 1896. Size: 4-1/8” tall.

A handsome Victorian bronze pen tray with a native American motif. One end of the tray has a very detailed representation of an Indian wearing a feathered headdress and various jewelry. The tray itself has a wonderful relief scene depicting an encampment. A group of warriors are gathered around a fire smoking a pipe and wearing feathered bonnets and loincloths. Teepees are in the background, along with a number of palm trees. Even as late as the end of the 19th century, European representations of Native American scenes often included such inconsistencies. Most of the artists and craftsmen, having not traveled to America themselves, were blissfully unaware that the Great Plains generally weren’t dotted with palm tree groves. The casting is excellent. The bottom edge is marked “Austria”.

Origin: Austria, ca. 1895. Condition: excellent, original patina. Size: 9-7/8” x 3-3/4”.

Early Staffordshire porcelain saucer decorated with bright polychrome enamels and pink luster arranged in a very pretty wreath pattern. The body is very slightly molded into lobes along the edges.

Origin: England, c. 1840. Condition: good; a small crow's foot on the back side and a small bite to the bottom rim. Size: 5-5/8" diam.

A wonderful Victorian ironstone footed fruit compote decorated in an underglaze blue floral pattern. Distinctly Asian in flavor, the pattern depicts prunus blossoms and peonies surrounded by rocky outcroppings, foliage and hovering butterflies. The edges are finished in a diaper border. Either end has a leafy handle, heavily accented with gilding similar in style to that found on Old Paris porcelains. The overall shape and use of gilding suggests an early date. The bottom is marked with F. Morley & Co.’s underglaze stamp.

Origin: England, ca. 1845. Condition: excellent, no chips or cracks, there are three small glaze misses near the upper rim, original gilding intact. Size: 12-1/2” x 9” x 5-5/8” tall.

Outstanding Victorian silverplate napkin ring decorated in the Aesthetic or Japonesque taste. The surface is encrusted with decoration representing flying cranes, crysanthemums, fans, and bamboo. The plain surface of the fan was intended for a monogram, but the napkin ring was never engraved.

Origin: America, circa 1870. Condition: excellent, all original, sharp detail. Size: 1-9/16" diameter; 1-1/8" wide.

Elegant sterling silver sauce ladle by Baker-Manchester Co. The lobed bowl has matte gilding and the rare feature of a pouring spout. The reverse is marked with the company's hallmark.

Origin: America, circa 1898. Condition: near mint, no monogram. Size: 5-1/4" long.

An absolutely delightful bronze calling card tray, the center designed with a small frog atop a traditional baroque-style wave. The top edge of the dish has a wonderful scene of four frogs riding big-wheel bicycles along a road. They have quite good balance, as all have their arms crossed. The lead frog is even smoking a pipe. Road markers reading “2Km” and “3Km” mark their progress. The frog and bicycle design was taken directly from a J & P Coats thread company advertisement used on trade cards in the 1880s. More than likely, the tray was designed to be used to hold the cards in an exclusive Parisian dressmaker’s or tailor’s shop.

Origin: France, ca. 1885. Condition: excellent; original patina; sharp details. Dimensions: 7-1/2 x 4-1/4 in.

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 late Victorian tea caddy in the form of a miniature William IV style double-pedestal sideboard with a scallop shell backsplash. The lid lifts to reveal three small compartments for storing caddy spoons and other implements. The two outer compartments have removable pegs that allow the fronts of each of the pedestals to be removed, revealing two drawers for the storage of tea. The center area between the pedestals would have been used to store a crystal mixing bowl. The front of each pedestal has tombstone inlays in bird’s-eye maple, while the sides are decorated with a diamond pattern of rosewood and maple. The hinged top is edged with holly or sycamore stringing. Figural tea caddies and miniature furnishings are quite rare and desirable.

Origin: England, ca. 1870. Condition: some warping to the hinged lid, a 2-1/2” x 1/2" area of missing veneer on the front edge of the right pedestal (not very visible because the mahogany veneer is set over the mahogany carcass), the scalloped backsplash has split and has been secured with old nails, the teeth of the brass lock are missing. Size: 14-7/8” wide; 11-1/4” high; 6” deep.

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.

A delightful Bennington-type yellowware cow creamer with mottled brown glaze. The cow stands on a concave oval base. This example is more nicely potted than some, with good detailing in the ribcage area and a quirky facial expression. These creamers were made in both America and England, but the style of modelling suggests this is an American example. The tail has been reglued nicely, and a professional restorer could make the repair completely invisible.

Origin: America or England, ca. 1840. Condition: mint aside from the tail. Size: 6-7/8" x 3" x 5-3/8".

Lovely pair of sterling silver sugar tongs with opaque turquoise and white enamel decoration. The quality of these tongs is apparent from the ornate and elegant piercing of the tips. Stamped on the inside “Sterling 1212” and hallmarked by the H. H. Curtis Co. (North Attleboro, MA, 1891-1915).

Origin: America, circa 1900. Condition: excellent, no missing enamel, no monogram, faint lemony gilding. Size: 3-1/4” long.

A classic Sandwich glass hyacinth vase in a rich amethyst shade. The vase is entirely hand blown, shows the traces of hand marvering. The deeply concave base has a rough pontil and a basal ring showing the expected wear. Hyacinth vases, sometimes called tulip vases or bulb vases, were used to force flowering bulbs for wintertime blooms indoors. They were quite the rage and some Victorian homes had numbers of vases arrayed on windowsills. Pieces by Sandwich are uncommon. An identical example to this, except in cobalt blue and with a large rim chip, sold at auction in July 2006 for $2127.50.

Origin: America, ca. 1870. Condition: excellent, no chips or cracks. Size: 9" tall.

Superb early Gorham lady’s purse, the exterior decorated in the Aesthetic taste. The surface is matte-finished and accented with areas of matte-finished and glossy parcel gilding. Each side features a triangular area of engraving representing what appears to be a bough of olive branches with olives. The purse’s beveled edges are glossy and are decorated simply with rows of bright-cut engraving. The purse opens with a push on the thumbpiece to reveal an interior divided into three compartments and lined with the original teal blue silk shantung. The purse retains its original chain. The inside rim of the purse is marked with the earliest form of Gorham’s lion-anchor-G hallmark, along with the pattern number “210”, “Sterling” and the date letter for 1871.

Origin: America, 1871. Condition: excellent, a small ding in the engraved area on one side (visible in raking light), all original, the silk lining with almost no wear. Size: 3-1/2” wide, 2-1/2” high, 1-1/2” thick, 11” chain. Weight: 68.0 grams.

A very fine Imperial Russian lacquer box by Vishniakov. The lid is decorated with a winter scene showing an empty troika, still tethered to its horse, located just outside a snow-covered log building. The scene is beautifully detailed. The interior is lacquered in the dark rust shade characteristic of Vishniakov.

Origin: Russia, ca. 1880. Condition: the top shows considerably alligatoring, but no paint loss; two of the top corners have flakes (visible in photos); the interior has wear to the finish. Size: 5-3/4" x 3-7/8" x 1-11/16".

Ornate Victorian sterling silver pie server by Gorham. The pattern is very similar to "Dresden", but is not an exact match. The handle is covered with various motifs, including shells, flowers, scrolls, and foliage. The bowl is very nicely scalloped and elegantly decorated with engraving to match the handle. The original gilding has faded to a soft lemon shade. Pie servers are not very common and are quite useful for all sorts of pie, pastries or cakes, or even tea sandwiches. The back is marked with one of the earlier Gorham hallmarks.

Origin: America, ca. 1890. Condition: very good, light wear to details on the handle, no monogram, original gilding intact. Size: 9” long. Weight: 74.0 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.