Old Friends  
638b   $ 1250

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Gorham's circa 1870 Morning Glory is a design that sought faithfully to replicate a natural form in silver. This effort was shared by a number of makers, including George Sharp, Whiting, and Wood & Hughes. This 13 1/2" long soup ladle is of a scale that exhibits the artisanship of this work to its fullest. The design employs a tubular shank that is joined to the bowl with decorative leaves. The leaves cleverly serve a dual purpose as they are also a part of the engineering of the piece. The e... Click for details

Old Friends  
637b   $ 35 pair

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This matched baby fork and spoon were made by the Webster Company, likely in the first quarter of the 20th century. They are in the arts & crafts manner, with hammered surfaces. Both pieces have looped handles which provide finger grips. The spoon is 3 1/4" long, and the fork is 3". Neither piece is monogrammed. The fork has the maker's mark and "Sterling" stamped on the outside of the handle, while the spoon has markings on the inside of the loop. The condition is excellent. There are mi... Click for details

Old Friends  
633b   $ 110 set HOLD

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Whiting's Bead (1880) is indeed a bead design, but it also incorporates a robust scallop shell at the end of the handle, providing an enhanced design element that conveys the refinement of a classic kings pattern. This pair are a matched salad serving set, with both pieces monogrammed "MJT" in script lettering. The spoon is 8 3/4" long, and the fork 8 1/2". The two together weigh 3.7 T. oz. The bowl of the spoon and tine area on the fork are elongated and have rippled edges. The backsides a... Click for details

Bruce Cherner Antique Silver  
1927   ON HOLD

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as we should say, long and massive at thirteen inches and 5.61 oz. Troy, some light scratches on blade but fine overall condition, monogram MCB in trailing Art Nouveau script, scarce.

Old Friends  
630b   $ 48

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Flanders (Old) is a pattern that Alvin acquired through its purchase of Simons Brothers of Philadelphia. This 6 1/8" long, all sterling silver cucumber server is an early example that was actually made by Simons as indicated on the S in a shield emblem on the reverse. The markings include the patent date of 8-28, with a rubbed 1900. The design is an appealing scroll, which repeats on the shoulders of the particularly well-executed pierced serving end. There is no monogram or removal. The co... Click for details

Old Friends  
629b   $ 48

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International's Cambridge is a late 19th century design that borrowed from earlier patterns. The handle is bordered beading that graduates upward in size to the top, where it is complimented with two small flanking scrolls, joining in arch fashion. The bowl is decorative, in that it has scalloped shoulders that repeated the bead and scroll motif, and a pointed tip. The item is a 7 5/8" long preserve or jelly spoon. It is moderately heavy at 1.9 T. oz. It is without a monogram or removal and... Click for details

Old Friends  
627b   $ 35 HOLD

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Gorham, along with many other firms, produced numerous engraved designs in the 1880's especially that do not seem to be as appreciated today as they were in their time. It may be that the craft of these items is some subtle to compete with the more extravagant, and perhaps more obvious, High Victorian pieces that capture the collector's eye today. This 5 3/4" long sugar spoon in Gorham's engraved Chrysanthemum is a piece of compelling design, if quite ordinary in its purpose, and having been a... Click for details

Old Friends  
625b   $ 80 set

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Dolly Madison would seem to be a misnomer for this 1920's Gorham pattern, as it so looks to be inspired by Old English, and Dolly Madison was such an foe of the English. The musing aside, these are four, matched, sterling silver luncheon or tea forks in this pattern which is a rounded antique with a lined border, and an upturned, slightly tipt, end. They are have the same script "MBT" monogram and are 7" long. They are also quite heavy, with the four weighing 5.0 T. oz. They are in very good... Click for details

Old Friends  
624sh   $ 95 pair HOLD

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Whiting's Arabesque is pattern follows after Moorish design, but is dominated by the griffin figure set in the middle of the handle. The pair is an original youth set, both engraved with the same feathered script "GAC" monogram. The fork is 6 1/4" long, and the spoon at 6" is slightly larger than an average teaspoon. The fork in particular seems extra weight, and has a thick shank as illustrated. The condition is excellent. There minimal polishing wear on the chest of the griffin (the highe... Click for details

Old Friends  
624b   $ 375

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Shiebler Flora items are frequently found in teaspoons, and not so frequently in other forms, while berry spoons are quite unusual in the pattern. This example is an 8 5/8" long and weighty, at just under 3.0 T. oz. The design is number 7 in the series, Wild Rose. It has a plain channeled back, which in this instance is engraved "FMB" in script. The bowl is plum-shaped, with a central vee and a pointed tip. Shiebler was nothing if not innovative, and this bowl form is yet one more style he ... Click for details

Old Friends  
622b   $ 85

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Alvin's Majestic is a multi-motif floral line dating from the turn of the 20th century. Produced at the height of the art nouveau movement, it is decidedly in that manner, and successfully so. This 7 1/8" long piece with a pierced bowl is a sugar sifter. It weighs a solid 1.5 T. oz. The flower is a jonquil or narcissus. While most sifters have the bowls set at an angle to the handles, the two parts of this lie along the horizontal, and in this regard the form looks deceptively like a small ... Click for details

Old Friends  
621b   $ 65

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Lettuce forks and spoons bespeak an era when eating involved more delicacy than it typically does today. Distinguished from salad servers, this form was always slender and elongated, clearly designed to prevent bruising of the leaves. This piece was made by Towle in the Paul Revere pattern. It is 8 1/8" long and rather heavy, at 1.5 T. oz. There is a gold wash on the fancy, three pronged serving portion. There are also two monograms, one on the front which is an Old English "W," and an art ... Click for details

Old Friends  
620b   $ 48 HOLD

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Horseradish spoons are clearly designed to accomplish their specific task, namely to secure a small portion of the condiment from narrow and deep containers. This completely original, slender piece in Whiting's Louis XV is 6 1/8" long and has an Old English "A" monogram on the front. The elongated bowl has scalloped shoulders and a pointed tip. The pointed tip variants like this are sometimes identified as honey spoons. The marketplace thinks what it thinks on that matter. This is in superb... Click for details

Old Friends  
619b   $ 65

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The motif for Gorham's Marguerite is taken from the daisy of the same name. It is art nouveau in style, but gently so. The intricate details show especially well at the scale of this 8 3/8", relatively light, berry spoon. It is monogrammed with an Old English "A" on the reverse, and retains a portion of the original gold wash on the gently undulating bowl. The condition is excellent, with no signs of polishing wear, sharp detail on the design, and a bowl that is absent dents, dings, or burrs... Click for details

Old Friends  
618b   $ 40

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Wood & Hughes' mid 1880's Louvre is a dense, mostly foliate, rococo design. This example is a 5 9/16" long, weighty feeling, sugar spoon. In addition to the complex design, this has an appealing individualistic round bowl with a crimped and scalloped edge. The interior is finished in a deep, bronze-colored gold wash, while the reverse is gilded in a bright gold. There is no monogram or removal. This is in mint condition; there is no visible wear whatsoever. Marks are WwH and Sterling.

Old Friends  
616b   $ 48 HOLD

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Identified as Engraved Number 1 by a number of sources, the motif of this design is a grassy flower. The theme repeats on both the handle and the bowl and is crisply bright cut. It has an aesthetic period sensibility. The item is a 6 1/2" long, heavy, preserve or jelly spoon. The entire front surface has a matte finish, and the oblong bowl with vee center also has a deep, bronze-colored gold wash. There is a feathered script "ZMB" monogram on the reverse. This is a highly decorative, c. 18... Click for details