Old Friends  
1042f   $ 85 HOLD

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The Flynt and Fales work on New England silversmiths cites Joseph Barton with dates of 1764-1832, and working in Stockbridge, Massachusetts until he moved to Utica, New York in 1804. His business was robust enough that he advertised for an apprentice in 1792, and Flynt and Fales reference another ad for him as a silversmith placed in 1798. This example is a somewhat unusually shaped, 9" long, approximately 1.6 T. oz., coffin end coin silver tablespoon. The square corners of the handle on this... Click for details

Old Friends  
1039f   $ 675

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Tiffany's 1872 Vine actually featured a wide array of motifs in the series, of which "Grape" was one of the more popular, and consequently fairly available to today's market. The form of this 9" long, heavy, 3.5 T. oz., serving spoon, however, is not at all common. It is an ice cream server with an unusual bowl. It is documented in William Hood's "Tiffany Silver Flatware/1845 - 1905." He illustrates the identical form right to the size (figure 265, page 178) in conjunction with the Japanese ... Click for details

Bruce Cherner Antique Silver  
2052   SOLD

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length 12 7/8 inches, weight 6.00 oz. Troy, monogrammed "F.A.P." (?) obverse, fine condition. Luxuriously constructed, with a broad flat portion at leading edge of bowl, this is a rare piece in a rare pattern.

Old Friends  
1038f   $ 40

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Dating from around the turn of the 20th century, this rouge jar has a cut glass base and sterling silver top. It measures 1 3/8" in diameter and stands 1 1/2" high. The glass has ten panel sides with faceted cuts along the lower rim, and it has a ground base. The lid has a raised center portion with an elaborate scroll design in the manner of Louis XV (or in Gorham's case, akin to the Strasbourg flatware pattern). The center of the lid has a finely engraved "MAC" script monogram. The entire... Click for details

Old Friends  
1037f   $ 435 pair

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Virtually every manufacturer offered a Chyranthemum design in the late Victorian period, with the three outstanding ones coming from Tiffany, Durgin, and this version by Gorham called Imperial Chrysanthemum. There are various iterations of the blossoms and leaves tracing the length of the handle and onto the bowl where there is a single, boldly set flower. This all shows especially well in the large scale of this matched pair of long salad servers. The spoon measures 10 1/4" long and the fork... Click for details

Old Friends  
1036f   $ 45

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General Israel Putnam was a fabled Revolutionary War figure whose name and exploits were well known in the late 19th century, the period of this piece. The specific subject of this 5 1/2" long teaspoon was his encounter with a marauding she wolf in the northeastern Connecticut town of Pomfret. The neighboring town of Putnam is named for him. The full story of this spoon and its historical references is recorded in Anton Hardt's "Souvenir Spoons of the 90's" which is comprised of facsimile pag... Click for details

Old Friends  
1035f   $ 32

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Poppy was a popular floral motif during the Art Nouveau period, and Baker Manchester's c. 1900 interpretation of that theme is quite successful. It is expressive, has a highly contoured surface, and is free flowing. This example is a 5 3/8" long, modest weight, cream or sauce ladle. It is the less common of two forms of this, being the variant that has a side pouring spout. The bowl shows very slight traces of an original gold wash. It is in perfect condition, without a monogram or removal,... Click for details

Old Friends  
1033f   $ 185 pair

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This serving fork and spoon may be used as a pair for salad or as individual pieces. They were made by Blackinton and date from the turn of the 20th century. The pattern, Helena, remains decidedly Victorian in style, incorporating beading, fancy scrolls, and any number of flourishes offered in balanced detail. The fork measures 8 11/16" long and has a scrolled shoulder, four-tine serving end. The spoon measures 8 3/16" long and has a ribbed bowl with scalloped and flanged shoulders. The pie... Click for details

Old Friends  
1030f   $ 55

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Made by the last of the storied Moulton family of silversmiths of Newburyport, Massachusetts, this exceptionally long, 9 3/16", and weighty, 1.7 T. oz., tablespoon is stamped "J. Moulton" for Joseph. It is a fiddle tipt form rendered with a broad, staunch end. It is engraved "M.C. from S.D." in a fine script and in exceptionally fine condition. There is no tip wear on the dent-free bowl nor damage of any sort to the rest of the piece. The finish is nicely patinated.

Old Friends  
1029f   $ 80 HOLD

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The pattern on this flat-handled, 7 5/8" long, and weighty, 1.5 T. oz., solid sterling knife is non-standard, but then Shiebler (the maker of this) designs are often their own creations. It may be a master butter or individual fish knife. The handle features a robust acanthus leaf with scroll and beading detail. These are classical elements, but offered in Shiebler's idiomatic way, with a drift toward the aesthetic. The scrolling, for example, is asymmetrical and evokes a wave, with this the... Click for details

Old Friends  
1028f   SOLD

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This tomato server measures 7 5/8" long, has a serving area that is 2 1/2" in diameter, and weighs just under 2.0 T. oz. It is stamped "A E L" and "Sterling." The maker is elusive, with one other elaborate cast piece with this mark readily found on the internet, and a quite similar cast design retailed by Boston's Shreve, Crump and Low. This is a New England estate item, with a history in the last family dating to about 1945, although it may have been older than that then. It is cast, with t... Click for details

Old Friends  
1026f   $ 28

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This 6 1/8" long, two-tine butter fork was made by Whiting probably in the mid 1880's. It has a reverse tipt end with an engraved design on the front. This is also monogrammed "EFP" in fine script lettering. The backside is plain save for the Whiting emblem and the word Sterling. It is in excellent condition. The engraving shows some softening from polishing, but otherwise there are no signs of wear.

Old Friends  
1025f   SOLD

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This pair of single stem, weighted candlesticks measure 9 5/8" tall each, and have bases that are 4" in diameter. The maker is Empire Silver of Brooklyn, New York, and that name appears on the undersides, along with the word Sterling. They are unused, probably no more than twenty years old, and consequently in untouched condition. They even retain paper tags on the underside cautioning against putting them in a dishwasher or allowing a candle to burn down to the metal.

Gebelein  
4896   $775 for 8; $200 for 2

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Coffin end, length 6-1/4", lengthwise script monogram ER. Overall and mark condition are excellent (bowl tips near mint).

Old Friends  
1024f   $ 195

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Bonbonnieres are bonbon spoons set large. In some instances, the size exceeds 10" long and that alone makes them commanding pieces. Add to that intricacy of design and the net effect can be quite compelling. The form was popular in the late 19th century, and no company was more successful in producing impressive examples than Gorham. This example is model number 588 offered by that company. It is medium-sized, measuring 6 1/8" long, has a bowl that is roughly 2 3/4" in diameter, and weighs ... Click for details

Old Friends  
1022f  

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Having two slightly splayed tines with scalloped inner edges, this 5 11/16" long item is an olive or pickle fork. The pattern is Gorham's turn of the 20th century Florentine. This is a highly expressive and stylistic design that features a bearded Renaissance figure at the end of the handle. This is accompanied by additional elaborate thematic elements. It is a weighty pattern and that is reflected in this. The piece is in flawless condition and without a monogram or removal. Marks are lio... Click for details