Catalog: Vintage Arts (284)

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”

An elegant Art Deco ruby glass cocktail shaker with sterling silver overlay in a grapevine pattern. The glass has a very intense ruby coloring, and the bottom has a polished pontil-a reliable sign of quality glass. Each side of the shaker is enhanced with a stylized grapevine motif worked in sterling silver overlay. The shaker is finished with a chrome-plated top.

Origin: America, ca. 1935. Condition: excellent, all original, no chips or cracks, no splits to metal. Size: 11-1/4".

A good bronze footed trumpet vase by Carl Sorensen. The surface is patinated in a dark mottled green and is enhanced with parallel engraved lines forming bands decorated in a darker green patination. The small foot makes this one of Sorensen's more unusual vase designs. 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: excellent, a slightly flattened area along the upper rim is just barely visible when seen from the right angle. Size: 6-1/2" tall.

A classic figural sterling silver thimble jigger by Thomae & Co. The rim is engraved "Only A Thimble Full." The interior retains a small amount of its original gilding. Several companies made variations of this jigger, but those by Thomae are among the best due to their superior weight and workmanship. Origin: America, ca. 1935. Condition: excellent, no dings or monograms. Size: 2" tall. Weight: 41.4 grams.

A rare, complete set of sterling silver demitasse spoons in the "Flowers of the Months" pattern by Tiffany & Co. presented in their original fitted case. The finial of each spoon features an illustration of a different seasonal flower such as a holly, clover, iris, pansy, poppy, etc. The bowls are parcel gilt. The back of the spoons are stamped with the Tiffany hallmark used 1907-1947. These spoons were made for only a short duration and complete sets are quite difficult to find. The inside of the original case is stamped "Tiffany & Co. New-York Paris London".

Origin: America, ca. 1926. Condition: spoons are mint condition, the outside of the box shows some wear and discoloration to the silk covering. Size: 4-11/16" long. Weight: 204.0 grams.

A rare French Art Deco cocktail pick set (“porte-piques”) depicting Aesop’s fable about the raven and the fox. The fox praised the raven so much that the bird opened its mouth to sing and dropped its lunch right into the fox’s waiting mouth. The moral: beware of flattery. This set was likely designed by the French children’s illustrator Banjamin Rabier who enjoyed a sideline designing barware. Pick sets such as this were once a fixture on every Parisian bar counter and today, they can be used at home for cocktails or to serve small hors d’oeuvres.

• Origin: France, ca. 1930
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 5-7/8” x 2-7/16” x 5-3/16”

A sterling silver vermouth dispenser in the form of a watering can. These were made by Boardman and retailed primarily at Cartier's flagship store in New York and by Tiffany. This particular example was retailed by Schroth's jewelers in Montville, NJ. When tipped, the dispenser lightly sprinkles just a drip of vermouth into the glass for the perfect martini. The bottom is marked “Sterling” and is signed “Schroth”.

Origin: America, ca. 1955. Condition: excellent. Size: 3-1/8” tall. Weight: 49.7 grams.

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.

Six sterling silver demitasse spoons in their original velvet- and silk-lined fitted case. The spoons bear full hallmarks for Sheffield, 1934, along with design registry numbers for 1918 and the maker's mark for Mappin & Webb. One of England's leading silversmiths, Mappin & Webb is the official silversmith and jeweler to England's royal family. The inside of the box's lid is marked with their logo.

The spoons are in mint condition; the box has slight wear on the inside lid. Spoons are 4-1/2" long.

Intensely colored amethyst glass inkwell finished with a gilt brass collar. The severe cubic form is relieved by canted, curved corners. The base is acid-stamped "Made In Czecho-Slovakia", indicating a date between the World Wars.

Origin: Czechoslovakia, ca. 1930. Condition: excellent, all original, no chips or cracks. Size: 2" x 2" x 2".

A rare silverplate cocktail recipe disk by Napier. The silverplate case holds a celluloid dial that can be rotated to show printed recipes for twenty classic cocktails. A jump bail allows the disk to be hung by a chain around a cocktail shaker or decanter. The rim is marked "Napier Pat. Pend." We've never seen this particular Napier design before.

Origin: America, ca. 1935. Condition: very good, very minor plating wear as is typical of Napier pieces. Dimensions: 2" diameter.

Outstanding three-piece sterling silver dresser set with guilloche enamel. Both brushes have natural bristles and the jar is panel-cut. All pieces are fully hallmarked for "G. Bros." London and Birmingham, 1928. The markings also indicate the pieces were made for export to America.

Origin: London & Birmingham, England, 1928. Condition: excellent, including the bristles; absolutely no problems with the enamel. Size: hairbrush 9" long; clothesbrush 6-1/4" long; jar 2" diam.

An Art Deco sterling silver handled double jigger by silversmith John Hasselbring (Brooklyn, NY). The angularity of the handle contrasts nicely with the traditional shape of the cups. Stamped with Hasselbring's hallmark.

Origin: America, ca. 1930. Condition: very good, a few pinpoints on handle and cups visible in strong, raking light; no monograms. Dimensions: 5-3/8" x 4-1/8". Weight: 78.7 gr.

A classic Art Deco sterling silver double jigger. The linear shape of the cups (instead of the more common bell shapes) lends this jigger a very modern feel. Marked "Sterling" and with the hallmark for Baldwin & Miller.

Origin: America, ca. 1930. Condition: excellent, no dings or monograms. Dimensions: 3-7/16" tall. Weight: 55.5 gr.

A brilliant red transparent lucite jewelry box or dresser box, the hinged lid inset with a sterling silver medallion illustrating a pair of lovebirds. The interior of the lid has a small round mirror. The medallion is stamped "Sterling" and has a design patent number registered in 1945.

• Origin: America, ca. 1945
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 4-3/4" x 3-15/16" x 1-3/4"

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 rare Art Deco double jigger in brown and speckled yellow bakelite.

Origin: America, ca. 1940. Condition: excellent. Size: 3-19/32” tall.

Superb and very rare copper bowl in the form of three bound leaves by acclaimed silversmith Alfredo Sciarrotta. Most of Sciarrotta’s work was in sterling silver, but he did make a limited line of copper and brass wares early in his career. The designer’s work is instantly recognizable from the quality of workmanship, the heaviness of the material, and of course the naturalistic shapes accented with delicately curling edges and engraved veining. The copper dishes have more realistic appearance than the works in silver, with more detail along the edges of the leaves and in the veining. The dish is raised on three brass ball feet.

Sciarrotta was smuggled out of Italy into the US during World War II to work on submarine technology. Afterwards he settled in Newport, RI and created a small line of hand-made sterling silver hollowware. These were retailed in his own shop and eventually by a few select stores including Shreve Crump & Low, Gorham, Bailey Banks & Biddle, and Cartier. This copper example has the earlier and less common hallmark that Sciarrotta used only at his own studio. Sciarrotta’s designs are in several museum collections including the Smithsonian.

Origin: America, ca. 1948. Condition: excellent, no dings or monograms, excellent patina. Size: 9-7/8” diameter; 3-1/8” tall. Weight: 565.0 grams.