Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20180115-01   $17.50

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Offered is a nice early American coin silver teaspoon by noted Philadelphia silversmith Joseph Shoemaker, circa 1805-15. This piece has a good period engraved script monogram and a clear maker's mark. This teaspoon measures about 6 1/4 inches in length and weighs about 17 grams. Condition is fair at best, with some dents to the bowl and a slight twist to the handle, but with no splits or repairs. All in all a good example of a short-lived style in Philadelphia coin silver!

Old Friends  
3382f   $46.00

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Lengthy items, intended to reach deep into a tall jar, horseradish spoons (sometimes identified as honey spoons) have paddle-like bowls, all of which describes this 6 1/4" long, .6 T. oz., example made by Knowles.

The pattern is "Apollo," which is a scroll, bead, and rose design that is very much in keeping with its late Victorian period (1892 issue date).

The cupped server on this is 1 3/4" long by 3/4" at the widest, and has a satin matte finish.

Never monogrammed, it is in... Click for details

Old Friends  
3381f   $125.00

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Likely dating from the 1880s, this 4 1/2" wide, 2" high to the rim, 4" to the top of the swing handle, 2.4 T. oz., basket, shows Aesthetic design influences.

The rim is scalloped and the tapered sidewalls are undulating. The solid handle is twisted, with a smooth, square, grip at the top.

There is a large scale representation of a wild rose blossom, branch, and leaves acid etched on the otherwise plain body. Acid etching is a technique that produces a more textured surface than simple... Click for details

Old Friends  
3380f   $24.00

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Largely rococo in style, Frank Smith's 1890 "Earle" is an asymmetrical pattern that features a dense array of acanthus leaf, scroll, and floral elements.

The handle backside is plain save for the marks, which are the Frank Smith "lion" emblem and "925/1000 fine."

This example is a 6 1/8" long, relatively weighty at 1.0 T. oz., youth fork.

Although having a reserve area, this was never monogrammed and is in very good condition. Pattern detail remains well-defined and the finish is warm... Click for details

Old Friends  
3379f   $36.00

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The scroll and leaf pattern on this mid 19th century, 7" long, .9 T. oz., master butter knife was produced by Farrington & Hunnewell, and in this instance retailed by "C.A.W. Crosby," both Boston firms.

A popular design in its period, examples of it are readily found. This piece stands apart, however, for the naturalistic leaf, flower, and bird motif engraved on the blade.

It is also inscribed "Viola" on the backside of the handle.

In good condition, it retains excellent form and... Click for details

Bruce Cherner Antique Silver  
2293   $350.00

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For our first listing of 2018, let's return to some good old fashioned pattern silver, a subject in which few folks seem to have any interest but we'll give it a shot because I'm a glutton for punishment and thrive on rejection.

Retailed by Boston's own late lamented and very elegant Bigelow Kennard, this implement is 8 5/8 inches long, weighs 2.76 Troy ounces, has no monogram and is in excellent condition. If memory serves me correctly, this is the first pea spoon we've ever offered in... Click for details

Old Friends  
3377f   $165.00

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Although dating from the Victorian era, this mustard pot presents more as Georgian in style.

Having a bulbous, cauldron shape body, it is relatively large, standing 2 1/2" to the top of the lid, 3" to the highest point on the thumb lift, is 2 1/2" at the widest, and weighs a substantial 4.0 T. oz.

The solid handle is a double cee scroll form, with an acanthus leaf detail.

The interior has a gold finish, which is intact on the lid, but some worn in the body.

The lid is engraved in a... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20180107-11   $275.00

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Offered is a superb set of three early American coin silver spoons by noted Philadelphia silversmith Joseph Richardson, Jr. In my view, there is no more elegant expression of American silver flatware of the late 18th Century than that shown by these spoons. The spoons each measure about 5 5/8 inches in length and the three weigh a total of about 50 grams. Each spoon has a clear maker's mark and well-executed period engraved script monogram of 'LW' within an ovoid reserve. Condition is... Click for details

Old Friends  
3376f   $90.00

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Stamped with the cross emblem of J.F. Fradley & Co., along with the word "Sterling" and the number "1815," this solid silver page turner, aka paper cutter, measures a lengthy 12" and weighs 2.5 T. oz.

It has a flat surface, with slightly beveled edges, and rounded ends that taper from 1 1/4" across at the wide end to 1/2" at the narrow end.

Otherwise plain, it has a flourishing, Art Nouveau style, "JA" monogram, suggesting a date circa 1900.

It is in very good condition. There are... Click for details

Old Friends  
3375f   $85.00

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Having a double Philadelphia provenance, this coin silver spoon is marked with James Watts' horse head emblem, and "George M. Bechtel" for the well-known retailer, 1850-60, later in partnership with George Eno.

It is a substantially sized piece at 9" long and weighing just under 1.5 T. oz.

Having a scalloped handle with an engraved surface, it reads as both characteristic for the period and for Philadelphia. The backside is plain save for the marks.

There is a handsome, feathered... Click for details

Old Friends  
3374f   $34.00

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One of Tiffany's favored suppliers before it began to produce its own silver, was New York City's John Polhamus, who was the manufacturer of this 7" long, heavy at 1.6 T. oz., dessert or place spoon.

The pattern is "Ionic," patented in 1860, as marked on the reverse. Other identifiers include "J.P.," "Tiffany & Co.," and "Sterling." Tiffany was early to require a sterling, rather than the then dominant coin, standard.

"Ionic" is double die struck, meaning the design appears on both... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20180107-08   $27.50

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Offered is a good early American coin silver teaspoon by noted Philadelphia silversmith William Seal, born and perhaps trained in Virginia but known to be working alone and in partnership in Philadelphia between 1810 and 1822. He lived until 1853 but the style of his silver does not post-date about 1820. This piece is in good condition overall, with moderate wear and no dents, splits or repairs. It is nicely engraved with a period script monogram and has a legible maker's mark as well as... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20180107-07   $85.00

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Offered is a very good set of three early American coin silver teaspoons by noted Philadelphia silversmith Amable Brasier (b. 1764 - d. 1842), working in that city between about 1795 and 1826. These three teaspoons are in a fin-less fiddle pattern and probably date to between 1800 and 1810. Each piece is expertly engraved 'EW' in period script. Each spoon also bears Brasier's maker's mark - one mark is rubbed but legible, and the other two are clear and well-struck. These spoons each measure... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20180107-01   $95.00

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Offered is a nice pair of late 18th Century American coin silver sugar tongs marked only with a maker's mark of S.B - a mark given in Belden's "American Silversmiths" to Col. Standish Barry of Baltimore, MD. See Belden, page 49, mark d. for Barry. The strength of the attribution to Barry in Belden is based on stylistic similarities to known Belden work, and the relatively small number of potential craftsmen with the right initials working in the right time period. In any event, these sugar... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20180106-17   $125.00

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Offered is a nice pair of 18th Century silver sugar tongs dating by style to the 1760s or early 1770s, bearing only a maker's mark of T.H in a rectangle. This maker's mark is fairly crude and doesn't look like a British mark, but the proportions of this pair of tongs look more British than American to me. So, are these tongs British, and dodge paying duty? Were they perhaps made provincially within the UK proper, far away from an assay office? Could they be from somewhere else in the Empire,... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20180106-16   $65.00

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Offered is an interesting early American coin silver teaspoon or coffee spoon that by style appears to date to the 1750-70 timeframe; the maker's mark ends with an "E" that looks an awful lot like one of Samuel Edwards' marks, but I can't make out the first letter. The outline of the mark is right for Samuel Edwards as well, but the drop on the spoon is different from those I've seen used by Edwards. So, probably a different maker. Does anyone have a theory? This piece is engraved with block... Click for details