Catalog

Reed & Barton held a commanding position within the realm of Art Nouveau silver producers at the turn of the 20th century, with designs such as Love Disarmed an unexcelled figural offering and Les Six Fleurs a benchmark among florals.

La Parisenne, the pattern on this 6 3/4" long, weighty at 2.12 T. oz., gravy is another expressive Reed & Barton design from this period.

A multi-motif floral line, the image on this is a water or pond lily (whether by inten...

A matched pair, each of these forks measures 7" long, while the two combined weigh 2.35 T. oz.

They are marked "I. Speer" and "Chicago" on the handle reverses.

Isaac Speer began work as a jeweler and watchmaker in Chicago in 1840, engaged in a partnership with Edward Cosper, 1852-53 (see Old Friends item 5463f for a Speer & Cosper ladle), and continued alone thereafter until 1870.

Coin silver, these date from the 1860s and are in a period pattern similar to Gibney's Tuscan and Po...

Slender and delicate, this piece measures 8 3/4" long and weighs just under 1.2 T. oz.

Marked only "Coin," without a maker's or retailer's identification, the rounded handle with notched tip essentially matches Gorham's early, 1865, "Italian" pattern, and the quality of manufacture suggests such a significant maker.

This is bordered by fine wriggle work engraving and has an elegant period "EC" feathered script monogram set in the center of the plain area of the surface.

The lower por...

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 sc...

A replica of a style that has its origins in the pre-Georgian era (see Old Friends item 2971f), this pair of sugar nips carry hallmarks in two places for London, sterling silver, 1921, and maker HF, likely Harrison Fisher, which was a Sheffield based firm.

They measure 4 5/8" long, are 1 3/4" across at the handles when closed, and open to a span of 3 5/8" at the shell grips. Weight is .9 T. oz.

Each arm is cast solid silver with a round finger grip attached to arms that are a series of ...

Classically inspired, featuring figures from mythology, "Medallion" flat and hollow ware evolved in the 1860s and was produced by numerous manufacturers of the period.

In its ascendancy at the time, Gorham produced a "Medallion" that set a standard for the motif, becoming in fact the line of choice for then retailer only "Tiffany & Co."

This 6 7/8" long, 1.2 T. oz., piece is variously identified as a tea, dessert, or breakfast fork.

The portraiture is a right facing head of a woman with...

The "Aesthetic" motifs empolyed on this finely engraved, 8 5/8" long, approximately 1.7 T. oz., berry or other serving spoon reflect the same design sensibilities that informed the Eastlake style of its c. 1870 period.

The handle is "Old English" with a rounded end and "Tipt" backside.

It is diamond cut engraved in a motif that incorporates grasses, a fern leaf, and a central floral rosette.

The bowl has a pointed tip, notched edges, and five raised vees extending toward the center.

...

A matched set, this c. 1835, coin silver, 6 5/8" long, likely pickle, fork and 7 1/2" knife, 2.8 T. oz. combined weight, are marked "S. Richard" for the New York City silversmith Stephen Richard.

The handles are filled (which is included in the total weight above), and feature a complex, double-sided, pattern that incorporates leaves, scrolls, flowerets, and two kinds of shells, one that is spiraled and one that appears to be a nautilus.

The pattern may be attributable to Richard's contemp...

An 8 1/2" long, 1.8 T. oz., large berry or other serving spoon, this piece is marked "W.P. Jones," along with "Sterling," for William P. Jones, Newburyport, Massachusetts, who formed a partnership with Anthony F. Towle in a firm that eventually became A.F. Towle Silversmiths, then Lunt.

It has a twisted stem and flat, rounded end, handle. This and the generously proportioned, 3 1/4" by 2 1/4", bowl are bright cut engraved in the Aesthetic taste. It likely dates from the mid 1870s.

The deta...

A relatively large item, this gravy ladle measures 7" long, has a 2 1/2" by 2" by 3/4" deep, oval bowl, and weighs just under 2.3 T. oz.

Fashioned in an Arts & Crafts manner, it was produced by Arthur Stone whose "Stone and hammer - Sterling" symbol, along with a benchman's "B" for Charles W. Brown, or possibly George Blanchard, appears on the handle reverse.

The angular "Coffin End" handle was one of Stone's early designs, first issued in 1910.

A plain piece, i.e. never monogrammed or...

As was a practice with many American silver manufacturers working in coin, even more so did Canadian silversmiths employ pseudo hallmarks imitative of English silver to identify their work.

This 8 5/8" long, weighty at 2.1 T. oz., circa 1840, coin silver table serving spoon is a case in point. It is stamped with a "crown, bust, lion" along with "IM" for John Munro, and "NB" for the province of New Brunswick, the city of St. John in this case, for the this maker.

A well-crafted piece, it ha...

This lengthy at 9 1/8", and weighty at just under 2.5 T. oz, spoon was produced by Wood Hughes, whose "WwH" emblem and "Sterling" appear alongside the patent date.

The pattern is "Angelo" which is a Renaissance Revival design that also shows Persian stylistic influences.

Having a large, 3 3/4" long by 2 3/8" at the widest, bowl, this is likely a salad serving spoon, although it certainly could function as a rice or platter piece.

The bowl has fluted or coffered shoulders and is engraved...

One of several patterns that originated with John Polhamus and was later continued in production by George Sheibler, "Princess" was first issued in 1874. It incorporates Greek Revival and Moorish design elements reflective of its period.

This example is an 8 7/8" long, 2.0 T. oz., berry or other large serving spoon.

It has a plum-shaped bowl with a pointed tip and scalloped edge, fluted heel. The interior is engraved in an Aesthetic mode design that is reflective of its later, post Polhamu...

An example of Shiebler's Month series of flatware introduced in 1902, this four tine, likely youth, fork measures 6 1/4" long and weighs a substantial 1.2 T. oz.

The month is March with the corresponding flower being Violet.

Decidedly Art Nouveau in manner, the portraiture is expressively sinuous and fluid as is characteristic of the mode.

There is a flowing script "WKH" monogram engraved on the handle front.

In very good condition, this shows little evidence of ...

This 1.9 T. oz., 6 1/2" long, solid silver gravy ladle is generously proportioned.

It is marked "Sterling" and "H & S" for Hotchkiss & Schreuder, Syracuse, New York, which firm operated operated under this name c. 1857-71, preceded by Bunnelle & Schreuder and succeeded by A.B. Schreuder.

The "H & S" mark continued in use even after the dissolution of the partnership between the two principals in 1871 ((Rainwater Encyclopedia of American Silver Manufacturers, citing Soeffing).

The ...

Measuring 6 3/8" long and weighing just over .8 T. oz. (26 grams), this piece is a youth fork in Gorham's classical Medallion pattern.

A multi-motif design, this piece features the profile of a left-facing female, possibly Hera, who was the queen of the gods.

The backside is plain save for the marks which are Gorham's "lion, anchor, G" emblem, "Pat. 1864" and "Sterling," along with the name "Robby Lew." engraved in script lettering on the end.

In excellent condition, the f...

A matching group in a Tipt aka Fiddle Tipt pattern, three of these four (two shown) teaspoons measure 5 1/2" long and one measures 5 3/4". The three collectively weigh 1.6 T. oz., and the single one .6 T. oz.

They are of archival interest for both the maker and the retailer.

Stamped with Whiting's "winged lion and W" emblem and "Coin," they are very early examples of a major 19th century silver manufacturer's modest origins.

Well-crafted and precisely-formed items with bri...

Items originating from various members of the renowned Bateman family of English silversmiths appear with individual maker's marks and in combination with one another.

This pair of 5 1/2" long, .9 T. oz., tongs is stamped "PB/WB" for Peter and William Bateman. Other marks include a "lion passant" for sterling, a date letter for 1809-10, and a "bust" duty mark.

A fully period piece, this has slender, tapered, arms with a broad arch and cupped grips and is extensively bright cut in a leaf an...