Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20231229-09   $24.00

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Offered is a late 18th Century American coin silver teaspoon bearing a BW maker's mark that has been attributed to Bernard E. Wenman of New York City (fl. 1795-1810); this piece is nicely decorated and engraved with period block initials "IAB" in typical lengthwise New York fashion. It measures about 5 1/4 inches in length and weighs 10 grams. Condition overall is fair at best, with some wear and abrasions to the bowl and the upper handle (see pictures), but no splits or repairs. On the plus... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20231229-08   Sold

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Offered is a very nice late 18th Century American coin silver pictureback teaspoon by noted Philadelphia silversmith Abraham Dubois, circa 1785-95. This piece is engraved with a period block letter monogram of SY, and has a good strike of Abraham Dubois' full-name maker's mark. The back of the bowl has a die-struck decoration of a bird grasping an olive-branch, which is quite worn, perhaps 80 percent gone. Nonetheless, it adds a bit to this piece. This spoon measures about 6 1/8 inches... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20231229-07   Sold

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Offered is a nicely engraved early 19th Century coffin-end coin silver spoon by New York City silversmith William Garret Forbes (1751-1840), who is listed in NY directories at least through 1809. This spoon should date to the 1800-09 period by style. It bears one of Mr. Forbes' known maker's marks, and is engraved with period script initials of "DB". This piece measures a bit over 5 1/4 inches in length and weighs about 12 grams. Condition is fairly good overall, with some minor tip wear and... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20231229-06   Sold

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Offered is a scarce example of the work of Enoch Moulton, a member of the famous Newburyport, MA family of silversmiths, but one who forged his own way in Portland, ME during his short (ca. 1780-1815) life. Because he only worked from about 1800-15 and the Maine market for silver was small, there are few extant pieces bearing his maker's mark. This fine large teaspoon measures about 6 1/8 inches in length and weighs about 14 grams. It is engraved with nicely executed period script initials of... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20231229-05   Sold

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Offered is a good late 18th Century Philadelphia coin silver teaspoon (measuring about 5 5/8 inches in length and weighing 17 grams) by famous silversmith Joseph Richardson, Jr. - this spoon is engraved with period script initials and is rare in that it is stuck twice with an incised rather than intaglio mark of JR. While this mark is rare enough that no example was available for "Philadelphia Silversmiths" by Hollan, there are a couple of spoons at Winterthur with this mark, such as this... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20231229-04   $32.50

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Offered is a scarce example of the work of Connecticut silversmith Judah Hart, who during his career was mostly in partnerships - this coffin-end coin silver teaspoon initialed "AG" in period script was probably made either between 1800-02 or 1807-10, when he is believed to have been working alone. Mr. Hart's maker's mark is struck clearly on this spoon, along with his fascinating pseudo-hallmark of an index hand. This spoon measures about 5 1/4 inches in length and weighs about 8 grams. ... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20231229-03   Sold

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Offered is a delicate and nicely decorated early 19th Century American coin silver teaspoon by Newburyport, Massachusetts silversmith Joseph Moulton III (1744-1816); the maker's mark on this spoon is Mark (a) in the book "Simple Elegance - Generations of Newburyport Silversmiths". This piece should date to about 1800-1805, give or take a couple of years. This spoon is engraved with period block initials of "EB". This spoon measures about 5 1/16 inches in length and weighs about 7 grams. It... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20221229-02   $32.50

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Offered is a nice scarce example of the work of Philadelphia silversmith William Ball (1729-1810), circa 1790-1800. This teaspoon is engraved "SC" in period script within a lovely foliate and trailing vine reserve, and is marked with William Ball's known full name mark to the reverse. This piece measures about 4 3/4 inches in length and weighs about 7 grams. Condition is fair at best, given that it has a repair to the bowl (see pictures), but it is a rare example of this man's work and... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20231229-01   $35.00

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Offered is a scarce example of the silverwork of Amos Doolittle (1754-1832), a New Haven, Connecticut silversmith. Mr. Doolittle is equally well known for having served in the American Revolution; he was one of the men who marched under the command of later turncoat Benedict Arnold in the Spring of 1775. He was also a founder of the Governor's Foot Guard. This teaspoon is engraved SWN in period script, and is marked with Amos Doolittle's documented maker's mark to the reverse (see all... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20231228-01   Sold

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Offered is a good pair of American coin silver spectacles by Henry Sargeant of Springfield, MA and later Hartford, CT. These bear Sargeant's maker's mark, and a town mark for Springfield, so they date to his working period in that town of 1825-40. These spectacles measure about 4 3/4 inches across, and weigh about 29 grams. Condition is good overall, aside from some modest fine scratching on the lenses and a make-do pin replacing the original silver pin on one arm - this replacement pin comes... Click for details

Old Friends  
5516f   $235.00

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Hammered surfaces were often a mark of hand worked Arts & Crafts period silver work, and this piece is a study in that feature.

A relatively large, 7" tall, 5.17 T. oz., solid silver muffineer, i.e. sugar shaker or caster, every facet of the piece, inside, outside, and underside, shows dense hammering that has a chiseled character to it.

It was made by Redlich & Co., New York City, whose "animal head mark," the word "Sterling," and model number "7470" are stamped on the underside.

The... Click for details

Old Friends  
5514f   $40.00

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The Victorian and Edwardian eras saw the evolution of a proliferation of specialized personal grooming aids, of which this bonnet brush is an example.

Measuring 6 1/4" long and 3 1/2" wide, it has a silver handle attached to a dense cluster of soft, natural bristles.

It was made by Gorham, whose "lion, anchor, G" emblem, "Sterling," model number "C159," and a date symbol for "1898" are imprinted on the lower edge of the handle.

The handle is hollow (and not filled), and features an... Click for details

Old Friends  
5512f   $100.00

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The spoon represented in the above image is one of a set of six matched pieces that measure 4 5/16" long each and weigh 2.6 T. oz. the group.

They present with something of a mystery.

Coffee spoons, the pattern matches Whiting's Renaissance Revival Arabesque pattern in every detail, save the backside of the bowls are stamped "800," which represents a German silver standard used prior to 1886 (Arabesque was issued in 1875).

Whether these were a direct copy manufactured by a... Click for details

Old Friends  
5511f   $145.00

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A large item, this all silver ice cream knife or slice measures 10 1/4" long and weighs 4.3 T. oz.

It has a hollow (not filled) handle and a 6 1/8" by 2 1/4", roughly rectangular, solid silver, flat blade with a gold finish front and back sides.

This form is sometimes referred to as an ice cream axe or hatchet, referencing the dramatically impressive scale of the blade.

The pattern is Watteau, which was issued in 1891 and references the French painter whose name became... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20231221-01   $85.00

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Offered is an unusually fine and well-preserved example of noted Philadelphia, PA and Charleston, South Carolina silversmith Jean-Baptiste Dumoutet, working in Philadelphia from 1793-1813 and with a branch shop in Charleston from 1802-1813. He also worked seasonally in Trenton, NJ from 1797-99 to avoid the yellow fever outbreaks in Philadelphia during those years. This beautiful decorated teaspoon is engraved "SS" in period script in an ovoid reserve, and is clearly marked with one of... Click for details

Old Friends  
5509f   On Hold

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A prominent Syracuse, New York silver manufacturer with a history that spanned the second half of the 19th century and lasted until early into the 20th century, Joseph Seymour produced a number of flatware patterns in coin and sterling silver.

The Square Handled Engraved pattern on this 7 5/8" long, 1.2 T. oz., jelly knife in sterling is one that does not have a lot of design parallels, either with Seymour or other producers.

The handle is flat, and as the name implies, has straight... Click for details