Catalog: Antiques (495)

A very nice scrambled glass paperweight by the New England Glass Company. The weight is well-packed with a colorful assortment of canes and twists. Visually, the set-up extends all the way to the periphery when viewed directly from the top. The glass is very clear.

Origin: America, ca. 1870. Condition: excellent, no wear to crown, some small flakes all along the edges of the basal ring. Size: 2-1/2" diameter; 1-7/8" high.

Superb sterling silver tongs in the "Kings" pattern. These are of the finest workmanship, exhibiting crisp detail on a very heavy blank. Fully hallmarked for London, 1842, with the Victoria head duty mark. The maker's mark is "WE" in conjoined circles.

Origin: London, England, 1842. Condition: virtually mint, period monogram "JJ". Size: 6".

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 handsome pair of sterling silver sugar tongs from the reign of King William IV. The sides are decorated in a classical late Georgian shell and thread motif. The quality is very fine. The interior have pristine hallmarks for London, 1834-35, and the maker’s mark for William Eaton.

Origin: England, 1834-35. Condition: nearly mint, no monogram, sharp detail. Size: 6-1/8” long. Weight: 69.5 grams.

Lovely Renaissance style gilt copper jewel casket by Jenning Brothers. The interior is fitted with the original blue velvet lining. The center of the lid features a coat of arms. Origin: America. The decorative bottom is marked "JB" with the pattern number "1377". Size: 4.5" long; 3" wide; 2" tall. Condition: Slight rubs through gilding to copper base at corners.

Very unusual glass paperweight from the New England Glass Company. The weight is worked in a patriotic theme with shards of red, white and blue opaque glass rods making up the scrambled design--possibly in celebration of America's centennial in 1876. The center of the setup is punctuated with a large icepick bubble--a technique I have never seen used in an American scrambled weight. There is also a rare silhouette cane of a pine tree. The crown is high and has a lightly swirled finish. The basal concavity is quite deep and irregularly finished.

Origin: America, circa 1876. Condition: excellent, no chips or cracks, no deep scratches. Size: 2-1/2" diameter; 2" high.

Very rare Staffordshire pottery child's plate with an ABC rim surrounding a hand-colored transfer print of a railroad steam engine emerging from a tunnel. The plate is very colorful and is highly desirable because of the train decoration.

Origin: Staffordshire, England, ca 1895. Condition: very good, two very tight hairlines about 1" long, a couple of potting and painting flaws. Size: 7-1/2" diameter.

A fine pair of sterling silver sugar tongs in the classic “Kings” pattern. The design is very nicely worked and the tongs are generously sized. The inside of the tongs are fully hallmarked for London, 1837. They also bear the William IV duty mark. This mark, used in conjunction with the 1837 date mark, was used for only 22 days before being changed to the Victoria duty mark. The maker’s mark is that of either William Barber or William Barrett II.

Origin: England, 1837. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, no monogram. Size: 6” long. Weight: 59.0 grams.

Extremely rare dessert plate featuring transfer decoration commemorating Napoleon’s great victory in the Battle of Friedland. The center decoration is printed in color and the rim is hand colored over a black transfer of crowned “N”s encircled by laurel wreaths and military decorations, alternating with escutcheons with the Emperor’s signature hat and sword. The back of the plate is stamped with the maker’s mark for Boch Freres of La Louviere, Belgium. The monarchy was in and out of favor frequently during the 19th century. Few Napoleon plates survived the period.

Origin: Belgium, late 19th century. Condition: excellent, no chips or cracks. Size: 8-1/8” diameter.

A rare sterling silver pickle fork in Towle’s 1887 “Pomona” pattern. The long handle is decorated with a cornucopia overflowing with peaches, pears and grapes amidst foliage. The handle twists before leading into the matte gild three-tined fork. This piece would have been used for pickled vegetables, but could now be used for a variety of foods. The long size is much more difficult to find than the shorter version. The back is stamped with Towle’s hallmark and the patent date.

Origin: America, ca. 1890. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, original gilding, period two-letter monogram. Size: 9” long. Weight: 28.0 grams.

Phenomenal Art Nouveau crystal shallow bowl, the bottom with intaglio engraving of a large pansy blossom. The flowers petals are beautifully handpainted in shades of burgundy and then gilt. The flower is surrounded by translucent foliage. The scalloped rim of the bowl is gilt to coordinate with the floral decoration. This piece, with its single large flower, is much more assertive than the more common small reverse-carved pieces such nappies and short compotes. We're not certain if the bowl is Bohemian or French. The pansy was a very popular floral motif in France during the Art Nouveau period. The French word for pansy ("pensée") is also the word for thought and the floral image was often employed to signify and sentimental gift of remembrance or affection.

Origin: Continental Europe, ca. 1890. Condition: excellent, no chips or cracks, 98% of painting and gilding intact. Size: 10-1/2" diameter; 1-1/2" high.

Rare hammered brass three-handled loving cup or wedding cup from Russia's Imperial era. The tapering form is nicely accented with forged strap handles attached to the sides with copper rivets. The bottom is stamped with the Imperial Romanov double eagle and the maker's name.

Origin: Russia, ca. 1880. Condition: excellent, no polishing. Size: 4" tall.

A nice South Jersey glass paperweight with a frit “Home Sweet Home” design. The motif features a log cabin with puffs of smoke coming out of the chimney, surrounded by the “Home Sweet Home” legend and a laurel wreath bough at the bottom. The top is cut with a single printy. The bottom is flat and polished, without the incised ring that appears around the periphery of many South Jersey weights.

Origin: America, ca. 1890. Condition: excellent, very light normal scratches to surface, no chips or cracks. Size: 3-1/4” diameter; 2” tall.

A unusually fine example of a scrambled weight by the New England Glass Company. The weight includes latticinio twists and millefiore canes. The set-up includes a complex red, white and blue cane (visible through the concave bottom of the weight) formed of a heart silhouette surrounded by stars. The canes are tightly packed for a very nice appearance. The glass is quite clear.

Origin: America, circa 1870. Condition: very good, a few small surface nicks on the crown, no cracks. Size: 2-5/8” diameter; 1-7/8” high.

A good bronze footed trumpet base by bronze artisan Carl Sorensen. The surface is patinated in a mottled bluish-green shade and is enhanced with bands of parallel engraved lines in a bright copper finish. Most of Sorensen’s vases did not have a foot, and the addition of the small foot—also enhanced with a bright copper edging—adds special appeal. Sorensen is known to have worked in Philadelphia in the first part of the 20th century, making bronze wares in the Arts & Crafts tradition. It is thought that his creations were retailed by both Roycroft and Tiffany. The base is signed “Carl Sorensen” and has his hallmark.

Origin: America, ca. 1910. Condition: excellent, original patina. Size: 6-3/4” tall; 6-1/2” diameter at rim.

This rare Canton covered oval dish (unfortunately, minus its cover) is the finest quality Canton wear, with excellent, crisp underglaze blue decoration. The sides are decorated with floral sprays.

Origin: Canton, China, ca. 1825. Condition: excellent; glaze rubs on the edges; one small glaze bite on the underside of the rim. Size: 9.75" x 8" x 2.25".

A fine mid-19th century pressed glass paperweight in the form of a recumbent lion resting on an opaque glass base. The lion is beautifully detailed and finished in a frosted surface. This lion is similar to one produced by Gillinder for the 1876 Centennial Exposition, but it is much more finely made. The underside of the black base is impressed “490”.

Origin: probably America, ca. 1870. Condition: excellent; there are a few very minor fleabites along the bottom edge of the base and a couple of small ones (probably from rings) on the lion’s head, where a user would likely pick up the paperweight (these are very difficult to see due to the complexity of the design). Size: 5-3/4” x 3-3/8” x 3-3/4”.

Attractive and unusual Victorian inlaid wood stereographgraphoscope. When the lid is raised and a stereograph is inserted in the holder, the viewer looks through the magnifying portal for a realistic three dimensional view.

Origin: probably English, ca. 1850. Condition: very good, although there is some chipping of the veneer along the edges. Size: 5.25" x 3.25" x 1".