On Hold
These are truly a choice find!
For those who are not familiar with his work, Frederick Gyllenberg worked in Boston, MA during the first quarter of the twentieth century, and was one of the preeminent American Arts & Crafts era silversmiths...
What's all the brouhaha about this fine old Durgin pattern? Well at the moment, the short answer is: none whatsoever. Twenty years ago, collectors for New Art abounded. Today there are few, giving you, dear reader, the chance to obtain examples at an attractive price point...
As collectors will know, if any of them remain above ground, knives in this elegant old Durgin pattern are scarce.
We have never encountered a spoon with this boat-shaped flat bottom bowl in the past, and have conferred with a Very Knowledgeable Fellow who has owned one (yes, just one) before and is of the opinion that this is indeed a berry spoon.
Granted, this is not the rarest piece of Tiffany flatware you'll encounter while surfing the interwebz, but several features do make it stand out from the crowd: 1) the overall color, condition and lack of polishing wear 2) the exceptionally well executed and decorative Art Nouveau monogram (see third photo) which I can not decipher, and 3) the eminently reasonable price tag.
On Hold
It hardly needs to be said, but these are adorable.
An exemplary item for the collector of cast bonbonnieres.
The blade features a restrained and well executed bit of engraving (please see third enlargement) with brite-cut foliage and shaded flowers.
Porter was a highly talented silversmith, but his work is inconsistent and sometimes sloppy. These items showcase his skills at their best. The solder joints are subtle and superbly executed, the hammering is uniform and attractive, the piercings are symmetrical...
Please see third enlargement for mark. The craftsman is Charles W. Brown
You'd be hard pressed to find better examples than these.
With the added cachet (we were going to say "snob appeal", but then remembered that our faithful readers, all two of them who remain, aren't snooty) of a Cartier retailer's mark.
Bought new, it costs just about as much as a small Mercedes, but here what a deal!!
With sinuous curves and whimsical spade-shaped feet, this is truly a little classic of English Art Nouveau silver.