Catalog: Vintage Arts (283)

This very rare novelty jigger in the form of a snowman measures with the body, opens bottles with the mouth, and when the top hat is removed, turns into a corkscrew!

• Origin: America, ca. 1930
• Condition: good, small area of paint loss on the hat rim, moderate plating wear particularly on the handles, paint touch-up on the face, a 1/8” pinpoint ding on the back side of the jigger.
• Dimensions: 4-3/4” tall

Lovely gilt bronze-mounted oval dresser tray with handmade lace insert. The bottom is marked "Apollo Made in U.S.A. 2697 12."

Origin: America, ca. 1920. Condition: excellent, except a small area of lace has a tear and slight discoloration (12 o'clock position in second photo). Size: 13-1/2" x 6-1/4" x 3/4".

A classic sterling silver jigger by Kirk & Son. The simple shape is accented with a gently flared lip and beautiful gilding. The bottom is stamped with the Kirk hallmark used from 1932.

• Origin: America, ca 1960
• Condition: excellent, no dings, gilding complete intact
• Dimensions: 1-15/16” tall
• Weight: 32.9 grams

Elegant sterling silver sauce pan with a turned mahogany handle and a matching sterling underplate. The bottom of both pieces are hallmarked for Fisher Silversmiths of Jersey City, NJ. Circa 1940. Excellent condition; no monogram. Underplate: 5.75" diameter.

Six sterling silver demitasse spoons in a classic pattern featuring a gadrooned edge. The backs of the bowls are fully hallmarked for Chester, 1923. The maker's mark is "S.I. Ld.".

Origin: Chester, England, 1923. Condition: excellent, no monograms. Size: 4-1/16" long.

A colorful green and white bakelite die holds a set of six chrome and bakelite dice picks in this Art Deco set. The cocktail pick holder (“porte-piques”) was once a fixture of every French bar or café. Today they can be used to spear cocktail olives, cherries or onions, or to serve small hors d’oeuvres.

• Origin: France, ca. 1930
• Condition: very good, the white pick is likely an early replacement
• Dimensions: 1-3/8” x 1-3/8” x 4"

Cast iron boot scrape in the form of a Scottie in its original blue paint. The two long spikes that hold the boot scrape in the ground are marked "Copyrighted 1927 By Household Patent Co. Morristown, PA." The company made a variety of metal products such as weather vanes and boot scrapes. Excellent condition; about 5% paint loss; the back side has remnants of old fabric-based adhesive tape that could be removed. 10" wide; 15.5" tall.

Large sterling silver berry spoon in Kirk's wonderful "Repousse" pattern. Certainly the most famous of all silver patterns to emerge from Baltimore, "Repousse" is filled with flowers such as roses, daisies and forget-me-nots. The bowl of the spoon is decorated with mixed fruit including strawberries, apples, grapes and raspberries. The back is marked "S. Kirk & Son Sterling", the mark used between 1927 and 1961.

Origin: Baltimore, Maryland, 1927-61. Condition: mint, no monogram. Size: 9-1/4" long.

Pretty set of eight bone china coasters by Royal Worcester. Each has a hand painted transfer-printed floral bouquet design. The outer edges are ridged and the rims are gilt. In addition to their original purpose, the coasters could also be used for nut dishes or even butter pats.

Origin: England, ca. 1970. Condition: excellent, no chips or cracks. Size: 3-9/16" diameter.

A nice bronze trumpet vase by Carl Sorensen. The surface is patinated in a mottled green, and the lower part of the vase is enhanced with parallel bands of various widths. A matching band appears around the outer top rim. Sorensen made a variety of decorative metalwares, but little is known about him. He worked in Pennsylvania, and his pieces were possibly sold by Roycroft and Tiffany. The base is signed “Carl Sorensen” and also has his hallmark.

Origin: America, ca. 1930. Condition: very good, patination is excellent, there is a slightly flattened area along the upper rim visible when viewed from just the right angle. Size: 5-7/16” tall.

Elegant sterling silver double picture frame. The frames are backed with dark green silk velvet. Perfect for engraving. Marked "Sterling".

Origin: America, circa 1950s. Condition: excellent, no monogram. Size: each frame is 3-3/8" x 4-3/8".

Lovely pair of sterling silver short candlesticks, the sockets with an engraved design and flaring outline suggestive of a tulip blossom. The design has a nice Art Deco feel and is really much more interesting than the typical short candlesticks of this type. The bottoms are marked “Sterling” but have no maker’s mark.

Origin: America, ca. 1950. Condition: excellent, the bottom edge of one stick has a few truly pinpoint-sized dings (not really visible except when upside down). Size: 4-3/8” tall; 3-1/2” diameter at base.

Very nice pair of sterling silver napkin rings in their original silk- and velvet-lined fitted box. The inside lid of the box is embossed with the mark "Viner's of Sheffield By Appointment To The Late King George V". Each napkin ring is fully hallmarked for Sheffield, England, 1966.

Condition: mint. Size: 2-3/8" x 11/16" x 3/4".

A delightful mid-century modern jigger by Reed & Barton. The figurine of the town drunk has a 1920’s feel, but the interior green enamel identifies the jigger as part of Reed & Barton’s “Color-Clad” line designed by John Prip and introduced in 1961. The bottom is marked “Reed & Barton 2oz” and has the pattern number “260.”

• Origin: America, ca. 1961
• Condition: excellent, no plating wear or enamel damage
• Dimensions: 2-7/16” tall

Beautifully engraved crystal candle shades with elegant sterling silver mountings made to screw into weighted sterling silver candlesticks. The shades are engraved with flowers surrounded by foliate wreaths. Marked "Sterling."

Origin: America, circa 1950s. Condition: mint. Size: 10" high, 4-1/2" diameter at top.

PLEASE NOTE: These shades will not fit all candlesticks due to slight variations in the diameter of the threaded openings in the candlesticks. Please measure your candlesticks carefully prior to ordering! The threaded portion of the shades is 27/32" diameter, and the threads are 3/32 wide.

Lovely white overlay glass lamp base with enameled floral decoration. Gilding accents the edges of the cut facets. The opaque white overlay is beautifully decorated with swags of roses. The top of the lamp is finished with a nicely engraved collar that connects to the electrical hardware. The lamp has been fairly recently rewired.

Origin: Bohemia, circa 1910. Condition: excellent, no chips or cracks. Size: 10-1/4” tall (not including electrical socket); 5-13/16” diameter at base.

Sterling silver bottle opener in Georg Jensen's beautiful 1930 Art Deco "Cactus" pattern. The handle is marked "Georg Jensen" in a dotted oval and "Sterling Denmark"; the opener is marked "Georg Jensen Denmark".

Origin: Denmark. Condition: excellent, no monogram. Size: 4-13/16" long.

A nice Art Deco cocktail pick set formed as a dark red bakelite cherry atop a rosewood base holding six bright red bakelite cherry-finial picks. The cocktail pick holder (“porte-piques”) was once a fixture of every French bar or café, as well as private bars in the home. Today, they can be used for their original purpose or to serve small hors d’oeuvres.

• Origin: France, ca. 1930
• Condition: excellent, minor wear to the finish along the lower edge of one side of the base
• Dimensions: 2-5/8” x 2-5/8” x 4”

A terrific pair of Art Deco sterling silver tension-hinged sugar tongs or “nips” by W. & S. Sorensen. The twisted upper handles are decorated with gilt crown-shaped finials and the tong ends repeat the twisted pattern of the upper handles. The tongs could be used for sugar cubes, candies, or even olives. Hallmarked by Sorensen. The tongs are very well made and are quite heavy.

Origin: Denmark, ca. 1930. Condition: excellent, all original, traces of original gilding intact. Size: 4-3/8” long. Weight: 30.5 grams.

A carved horn cocktail pick set in the form of a flying bird that looks rather like an albatross. The bird has inset glass eyes. The natural coloring of the horn is used to good effect in the bird’s wing and tail feathers. The set is completed with a holder containing ten cocktail picks with horn finials. Cocktail pick holders (“porte-piques”) were once a fixture on the bar of every café in France and were sometimes used in the home as well. Horn sets were popular in the 1950s. Usually made in the Auvergne, the sets were a by-product of the region’s renowned cattle industry. Because the picks have tines, they can be used to spear cherries or olives for cocktails or to serve small hors d’oeuvres.

• Origin: France, ca. 1950.
• Dimensions: 7-3/4” x 3-5/8” x 4” high.
• Condition: excellent; minor flaking at the bottom edge consistent with age and use.

Pretty pair of enamel bottle tags for "Sherry" and "Gin." The labels are decorated with colorful roses and forget-me-nots. The tags hang from brass chains.

• Origin: England, ca 1900
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 2-7/16" x 1-3/8"

A terrific Art Deco spun aluminum ice bucket for chilling wine and champagne. The front is decorated with a copper plaque depicting the label of a very well-known French winery in Alsace. The winery is famous for its Riesling, but also for Crémant, a sparkling wine native to Alsace. Alsatian wines are traditionally bottled in tall, narrow bottles, hence the shape of this bucket. The bottom is marked "URBA Made In France". Ice buckets were offered by wineries to cafés and distributors as a way of advertising their products.

Origin: France, ca. 1930. Condition: surface scratching from normal use. Size: 10-3/4" tall.

An elegant sterling silver small letter opener in Kirk’s “Repousse” pattern. The wide end is beautifully decorated with a pattern of roses and foliage against a stippled background. The flat edge is marked off so it can be used as a ruler. The back is marked with the Kirk hallmarked used 1932-61.

Origin: America, ca. 1950. Condition: excellent, very light wear to the first few 1/16” makers on the ruler at the pointed tip. Weight: 26.5 grams.

Unusual sterling silver lettuce fork in Stieff's enduring "Rose" pattern. Originally intended to serve lettuce, this piece could be used or any variety of modern foods. Origin: Baltimore, MD, early 1900's. Condition: excellent, no monogram. Size: 9-1/4" long.

A very nice antique Chinese glass paperweight featuring a lampwork poinsettia. The bright red petals are arranged in a double row around a sulfur yellow millefiori center and are accented with a green stem and a pair of leaves. The Chinese copied this design from New England Glass Company paperweights of the 19th century. The glass in this example is relatively good quality, with only few small bubbles, and is considerably larger than many examples. The base is ground and polished concave.

Origin: China, ca. 1930. Condition: excellent, no chips, cracks or significant surface wear. Size: 3-1/4" diameter.

An attractive, colorful frit paperweight showing a pair of hearts shot through with an arrow and surrounded by a laurel wreath and the word "Friendship," all against a bright mottled umbrella ground. The pontil is ground and frosted. The glass is nicely free of striae and bubbles. The quality of workmanship is quite good, and the weight is certainly the handiwork of one of the better West Virginia glass makers, possibly Gentile.

Origin: America, ca. 1950. Condition: very good; extremely minor surface wear to crown. Dimensions: 3-1/4" diameter; 2" high.

Very nice sterling silver Colonial-style porringer by Alvin Silver Co. Sterling porringers are a traditional gift for newborns, serving as a feeding dish. They are also suitable for mint/nut dishes or wine bottle coasters. The bottom is marked "Lullaby Sterling" which is a division of Alvin.

Origin: America, mid-20th century. Condition: excellent, a pinpoint ding on one side near the handle. Size: 4" diameter (excluding handle); 1-1/4" high. Weight: 61.5 grams.

A pretty Art Deco cut glass perfume bottle with an intaglio stopper. The periwinkle blue body is cut in a diamond pattern, while the flat round stopper has lapidary cut edges and an intaglio four-leaf clover. The overall effect is very sweet. The flat base is acid-etched “Made in Czechoslovakia” inside an elongated oval.

Origin: Czechoslovakia, ca. 1920. Condition: excellent, no chips or cracks. Size: 3-3/4” tall.

An elegant French Art Deco silverplate jigger in the form of a champagne bucket. The form is completed by a pair of spherical handles typical of champagne coolers of the era. The bottom is stamped with an illegible maker’s mark.

• Origin: France, ca. 1930.
• Dimensions: 1-7/8” diameter; 2” high.
• Condition: excellent; no dings; a 2mm area of plating wear to the interior near the bottom.

Set of four Bohemian glasses, each hand painted with a different pair of dogs. We're not dog experts, but they appear to be Scotties, wolfhounds, spaniels and Dalmatians. The quality of the painting is very nice, as is the quality of the glass. The top and bottom edges are decorated with gilt lines. The polished bottoms are acid-etched "Made In Czechoslovakia".

Origin: Czechoslovakia, 1918-1935. Condition: excellent, slight wear to gilt edges. Size: 5-3/4" tall.

A rare Art Deco mechanical "Trap Jigger" in chrome with red bakelite accents made by Fay. When the arms of the filled jigger are rested on the rim of a glass or jigger a plunger inside is forced up to allow the liquid to pour out the bottom.

• Origin: America, ca. 1940
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 2-1/2" tall when closed; 3-3/16" wide at handle

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.

Art Deco style sterling silver cake comb, used to serve spongy cakes such as angel food. The pattern would blend nicely with many of the Jensen designs. Marked "Web Sterling Handle."

Origin: Philadelphia, PA, 1950-65. Condition: excellent. Size: 11" long.

A heavy pewter jigger in the form of a shotgun shell by Conoy’s of London. The side is marked off in increments, and the head and rim and finished in brass. The side is engraved “Big Shot.” Conoy’s started as a luxury pipe maker and eventually expanded their range to include canes, flasks, and other gentlemen’s accessories.

• Origin: England, ca. 1950
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 3-1/8” tall
• Total Capacity: just less than 4 ounces

Sterling silver gravy ladle in Gorham's 1964 "La Scala" pattern. This is one of the heavier and more expensive patterns produced by Gorham in the mid-20th century.

Origin: America, ca. 1964. Condition: near mint, no dings or monograms. Size: 6-7/8" long. Weight: 87.0 grams.

A classic late Art Deco or early modernist porcelain water jug advertising Ricard Anisette. In the south of France, tradition dictates that anise-flavored aperitifs should be served with water to dilute the drink. Makers such as Ricard and Pernod provided advertising pitchers to local bars and cafes to increase their sales. This squared-off rectangular form is less common than the traditional globe-shaped pitcher and became popular after World War II. The bottom is marked "Ateliers de Céramique Ricard/Made in France".

Origin: France, ca. 1950. Condition: excellent, no chips or cracks. Size: 9" x 3-3/4" x 5-1/2" tall.