Catalog: Silver

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...

Established in Jacksonville in 1868, Greenleaf & Crosby eventually evolved into Florida's premier fine jewelry house.

Their offerings included a variety of Florida themed souvenir items and table implements, many of them sourced from Gorham, which is the case with this early 20th century, 8 3/4" long, orange knife.

It has a filled handle in an orange blossom, bud, and leaf design...

A novel item laden with sentiment, this large, handled (tea)cup has a body with a top diameter of 3 1/2" and a maximum span of 4 5/8" to the end of the handle. It stands 2" high to the rim, has a base that is 1 7/8" wide, and weighs 2.96 T. oz...

Durgin introduced its Old Standish pattern in 1901 followed by New Standish in 1905. Both designs feature weighty, rounded end handles with multi-lined edges front and back sides.

New Standish adds a raised, rolled leaf detail at the handle end on the obverse.

This example is a 5 3/8" long, 1.06 T. oz., sugar sifter with an essentially hemispherical, 1 7/8" by 1 3/4" diameter by 1/2" deep, bowl.

The bowl has a raised vee on the heel where the handle joins...

A commemorative birth or christening mug, this piece stands 2 3/4" high to the lip, has a top diameter of 2 5/8", a maximum span of 3 1/2" to the end of the handle, and sits on a flat bottom that is 2 3/8" across. It weighs 2.35 T. oz.

It was made by Gorham, whose "lion, anchor, G" emblem, "Sterling," and model number "A3428" are imprinted on the underside.

It is engraved "Charles Barham Jr." over "July 16. 04," which places its date of manufacture to early in the 20th century...

This original set of six 5 o'clock length, viz. 5 7/16" each, 3.9 T. oz. the group, teaspoons are early production examples of Whiting's Art Nouveau Lily pattern.

They are all marked with the company's "standing lion" emblem, "Sterling," "Pat. 1902," "R'd 1902," and with an Old English "O."

Further corroboration of their age is that they are sequentially dated in script lettering on the handle backsides, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908 and 1909 respectively...

The larger of two sizes of fish servers that Gorham offered in its Buttercup pattern, the fork on this pair measures 8 3/8" long and weighs 2.9 T. oz., while the knife is 11 3/8" and weighs 3.95 T. oz.

Both pieces are solid silver and are early production items with scalloped and decorated shoulders. Later examples had plain shoulders...

Silver manufacturer George Shiebler was known for innovative and imaginative designs, but apart from his numbered Flora series, Art Nouveau offerings from this source were limited, with Fiorito his most fulsome and expressive full line pattern in this mode.

This example of the pattern is a lengthy, 8", 1.6 T. oz., cold meat fork.

Fiorito is multi-motif pattern, with the flower on this a poppy...

This piece, a 6" long, 1.1 T. oz., solid silver sugar spoon in Whiting's Violet is marked "Pat. App. For," indicating it is an early production item, likely made no later than 1905, which is the year its patent was granted.

Other marks include Whiting's "standing lion" emblem and "Sterling."

A gracious Art Nouveau design, this interpretation of Violet speaks gently...

Syracuse, New York, was a major silver manufacturing center in the mid to late 19th century. Joseph Seymour, the maker of this 8 1/4" long, 1.9 T. oz., berry spoon, was one of the most prominent names among that city's firms, with a history that began in 1846, terminating in 1905.

An innovative producer, Dorthy Rainwater in her "Encyclopedia of American Silver Manufacturers" notes that he received a patent for making spoons in 1859, and further that, "the company was one of the first to mak...

Bonbonnieres are bonbon spoons set large.

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 firm.

It is medium-sized, measuring 6 1/8" long, has a bowl that is roughly 2 3/4" in diameter, and weighs just under 2.0 T. oz.

It is cast rather than die struck, as these forms generally were. Casting allows for the introduction of more intricate detail and great...

Marked "Patent 1861," "Beaded" is one of Gorham's earliest line patterns. It was produced for a considerable period of time and made in both coin and sterling silver. This example is marked "Coin," so dates no later than 1868, the year Gorham went to sterling.

It is a large, 9 1/4" long, approximately 2.5 T. oz. ice cream server.

It has an oval blade with two ribs in the interior, notched shoulders, a beveled edge, and a gold washed upper surface. This is shallowly concave and more o...

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...

Stamped "H&S" in two circles joined by a diamond for Syracuse, New York's Hotchkiss & Schreuder, this 8 3/4" long, 1.7 T. oz., berry spoon dates from the 1860s.

It is a fine representation of the design sensibilities and manufacturing skills of the period.

The stem is twisted while the scalloped edged handle end is flat with a slightly upturned tip. The surface of this has an engine turned background complimented with bright cutting and a wriggle work border on the backside.

There i...

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...

Issued in 1880, Gorham's "Empress" incorporates a number of design elements, all evident on this 9 3/8" long, just over 3.0 T. oz., serving spoon.

The lower portions of the handle where it joins the bowl suggest an Egyptian Revival influence, while other areas point toward Renaissance Revival inspiration. In addition, the dense floral clusters employ imagery similar to Gorham's "Cluny" pattern that was designed by Antoine Heller, who was highly regarded for his Classical motifs.

Lastly, ...

Issued in 1880, Wood & Hughes' "Humboldt" pattern incorporates Moorish design elements, as popular in the period, laid out on an angular handle.

Produced at a time when the company was enjoying great prosperity and was especially productive, it exhibits sophisticated design and high quality execution. This is especially evident in the plum-shaped, notched edge, bowl that is intricately engraved and finished with a matte gold surface on the interior and bright gold on the exterior.

The name...

Measuring 7 3/4" long and weighing 2.0 T. oz., this fork has rounded shoulders and three wide and lengthy tines, the outer two of which are splayed.

The form is uncommon and hence of uncertain function. It may be a spinach or toast/bread fork, or for another purpose yet. The proportions assure it is definitely original and not adapted from another piece as, for example, most potato forks are derived from dinner forks.

The maker was George Sharp, Philadelphia, as indicated by his "lion, S, ...