Catalog: Vintage Arts: Decorative Art: Metals: Silver (188)

A classic Art Deco figural cocktail shaker in the form of traditional milk can by Reed & Barton. The “Milk Can” was introduced in 1959 and came in two sizes, with the 32-ounce size retailing for $35. This shaker was a luxury product and was made with Reed & Barton’s highest quality plating. The bottom is stamped “Reed & Barton/27/32 oz.” It also retains the original paper lable.

Origin: America, ca. 1959. Condition: near mint, no dings or scratches. Size: 9-1/2” tall.

Silver mounted agate sculpture in the form of a Kiwi or a similar bird. The silver is well worked and complements the rich brown shadings of the agate. The silver mountings are marked "P. Rata 833".

• Origin: Portugal, 1950
• Condition: excellent, some natural pitting in the stone
• Dimensions: 2-1/4" tall

A fine silver tastevin inset with a 1772 silver 8 reales coin from the reign of Carlos III. The deeply-curved sides of the tastevin are decorated in a characteristically Spanish baroque style with ornate chasing and engraving. The handle is in the form of a curled dragon-like creature.

Though they were fashionable in France in the 19th century, coin tastevins only became stylish in Spain around 1950. Generally, they were made by high-end silversmiths as custom orders by clients who provided their own antique coins. In this case, the coin is an 8 reales (known colloquially as a "piece of eight") minted in Mexico City for use in the Spanish colonies and in Spain itself. The tastevin was made by the silversmith Manuel Garrido and bears the retailer's mark of Bagués, Spain's most luxurious jeweler.

Origin: Spain, ca. 1950. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 3-1/8" diameter (excluding handle). Weight: 76.9 gr.

A very uncommon graduated sterling silver handled jigger by one of Mexico’s most important Art Deco and modernist silversmiths, Juvento Lopez Reyes. He opened his studio, Plateria del Recreo in 1935, making most streamlined hollowware items in the Art Deco and modernist taste. The base is fully stamped with mark used by Reyes in the 1930s and 40s. The stepped sides of the jigger mark off .5, 1, 1.5 and 2-oz levels.

Origin: Mexico, ca. 1940. Condition: excellent, except for one very minor ding. Dimensions: 2-1/2” tall. Weight: 54.4 grams.

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 lovely boxed set of sterling silver coffee or demitasse spoons in the “Harlequin” pattern. Each spoon features and stem and finial in a different floral form (L-R “Wild Rose”, “Goldenrod”, “Calla Lily”, “Hollyhock”, “Apple Blossom”, “Tea Rose”, “Water Lily” and “Forget-me-not”). The designs are beautifully worked. The bowls are parcel gilt. Each spoon is hallmarked. They are presented in their original box with an illustrated guide (dated 1948) to the patterns inside the lid.

• Origin: America, 1948
• Condition: excellent; box has normal age-appropriate wear
• Dimensions: 4” long
• Weight: 81.7 grams

An elegant set of six sterling silver demitasse spoons by English silversmith William Suckling, Ltd. The handles are simply decorated with an acanthus bud. The bowls are slightly broader and more balloon-shaped than the typical demitasse spoon, so they could easily be used for delicate desserts. The set is presented in its original velvet- and silk-lined fitted case. Each spoon is fully hallmarked for the maker and for the year 1945. A set such as this must have quite the rare luxury in the final year of World War II.

• Origin: London, 1945.
• Dimensions: spoons, 3 13/16" long.
• Weight: 58.2 grams.
• Condition: both the spoons and case appear to be unused.

A lovely set of six sterling silver cocktail picks with rooster finials presented in their original fitted box. Each pick is fully stamped with hallmarks for Birmingham, England and with the maker's mark for Barker Bros Ltd.

Origin: England, 1948. Condition: excellent, some discoloration to interior lid of box and slight wear on outside. Weight: 16.5 grams.

Rare vintage sterling silver figural jigger in the form of wing-handled fire bucket. The side is engraved “Fire Water.” Figural jiggers gained popularity in the Art Deco era. The bottom is marked “Lunt Sterling 15”.

• Origin: America, ca. 1940
• Dimensions: 2” tall to rim, 2-3/4” to top of handle
• Weight: 34.6 grams

A vintage sterling silver napkin ring, the front decorated with three bears, probably an allusion to the children's story, "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." The back is engraved "Tony" and the interior is stamped "Sterling".

America, ca. 1940. Condition: very good, light wear from polishing, no dings. Weight: 23.4 gr.

A very fine and extremely rare Art Deco sterling silver cocktail shaker by exclusive Tuttle Silvermsiths. At the end of the Art Deco era, just before modernism began to take a firm hold, a few leading American silver companies started reinterpreting Stuart adn Georgian silver designs for modern purposes. This shaker is just such an example. The urn finial cresting above the everted rosette cap is a new take on late Stuart and early Georgian design, as is the overall severe cylindrical shape and the double-reeded banding. The final look is an extraordinary blending of 17th century design and the "skyscraper" design of the 1920s and 30s. The bottom of the shaker is marked with Tuttle's maker's mark, as well as the retailer's mark for Shreve, Crump & Low. It is also marked "London Reproduction 1660-1684". And finally, it is marked with the monogram for Harry S. Truman with the Roman number I, indicating the that shaker was made during the first Truman administration (1945-49). Tuttle is not a widely-known American silver company precisely because all its products were made entirely by hand and were extremely expensive. It was available only to the elite.

Origin: America, 1945-49. Condition: excellent, a few insignificant waves from "ice cube dings" only visible in strong, raking light. Size: 14-1/2" tall. Weight: 1,106 grams.

A witty pair of Art Deco silverplate jiggers, the smaller (1.5 oz) decorated with a hand with one finger upraised and the larger (2.0 oz) with two fingers. The jiggers are heavy and well-made. The jiggers nest together perfectly.

Origin: America, ca. 1940. Condition: excellent, original plating completely intact. Size: 2-5/8” and 3” tall.

A very handsomely decorated set of 12 sterling silver demitasse spoons. The handles are finely decorated with a cast and pierced stylized bellflower. The swirling character of the finial design nicely contrasts with the more angular line of the lower handles and the oval bowls. The backs are fully marked with Swedish hallmarks for 830 silver, including the town mark for Norberg.

Origin: Sweden, ca. 1940. Condition: excellent, all original, no monograms. Size: 4-1/16" long. Weight: 92.0 grams.

A handsome sterling silver rollover jigger by Cartier. The jigger's two arms rest across the top of a glass or cocktail shaker. After filling, it's simply flipped over the empty the contents without making a mess. The bottom is marked "Cartier Sterling", indicating it would have been sold at Cartier's flagship New York store.

• Origin: America, ca. 1940
• Condition: excellent, no dings
• Dimensions: 5-13/16" wide
• Weight: 47.8 grams

Handsome pair of large cobalt glass oval open salt dishes in pierced sterling silver holders. The bottoms are hallmarked by Watrous.

Origin: America, ca. 1930. Condition: excellent. Size: 3-3/16" x 2-1/4" x 1-1/16" tall.

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 beautiful set of six silverplated scallop shell dishes by Tiffany & Co. The dishes are worked with wonderful detail—even the feet have a decorative treatment similar to snail shells. These dishes are perfect for butter, mints, nuts, or even individual servings of cocktail sauce. The bottoms are marked “Tiffany & Co/Makers/Silver-Soldered”.

Origin: America, ca. 1950. Condition: excellent, no plating wear. Size: 3-13/32” x 4-5/8” x 1-3/16” high.

These lovely sterling silver spoons are in a Colonial Revival pattern, simply decorated with a shell at the tip of the handle. The backs are stamped with the high-end retailer's name "Bigelow, Kennard & Co." of Boston, indicating a date before 1922. The backs of the handles also have a monogram "T" in a style that would point to ca. 1890-1900, and the mark 925/1000 which would also support that date range.

Although the maker is unknown, it is very similar to a number of patterns called "Shell" that were made by virtually all the more important silver manufacturers at the time (Gorham in 1890; Reed & Barton in 1900; Towle in 1889; Frank Smith in 1890; Mt. Vernon in 1865; and Lunt in 1888). It appears most similar to Frank Smith's version, but would work nicely with any of these or other Colonial Revival patterns.

Excellent condition. 8.5" long.