Catalog: Silver

An elaborate figural design ssued in 1891, the central motif of Dominick & Haff's Cupid is a winged cherub. While always a cupid's face and portion of the upper torso, there is variation in the specific portraiture from piece to piece.

Overall, the pattern is rococo in style, featuring a series of scrolls and leafy elements arrayed in an asymmetrical manner.

This example, a 10" long, heavy at 3.9 T...

Dating circa 1860, this 9 1/4" long, solid weight at 2.4 T. oz., pie server is an early example of California (coin) silver.

It is stamped on the handle backside, "Vanderslice & Co. S.F. Cal." for the firm established in 1858 which, as recounted in Silver in the Golden State, became "the longest lived of the nineteenth-century San Francisco manufacturing firms," suggesting that this piece, unlike much California silver of the period, was regionally produced...

An early production piece in Whiting's commanding King Edward pattern, this grandly-scaled, 9 3/4" long, weighty at 4.0 T. oz., berry or other (rice, entree, or vegetable, for example) serving spoon is marked with the company's "lion and W" logo, "Sterling," and "Pat. Ap. 23, 1901," as well as the retailer's name, "Shaw & Berry Co.," Washington, DC...

Hammered surfaces were often a mark of hand worked Arts & Crafts period silver work, and this piece is a study in that feature.

A relatively large, 7" tall, 5.17 T. oz., solid silver muffineer, i.e. sugar shaker or caster, every facet of the piece, inside, outside, and underside, shows dense hammering that has a chiseled character to it.

It was made by Redlich & Co., New York City, whose "animal head mark," the word "Sterling," and model number "7470" are stamped on the underside...

Exceptionally large, this solid silver pie server measures 10 1/4" long, has a blade that is 5" by 2 7/8" at the widest, and weighs 2.9 T. oz.

Marked "Ball, Black," "925" for sterling, and "Patent," the pattern is Arabesque, made by John Wendt, New York City, and issued in 1871. Arabesque is often (mis)identified as Monroe.

A Moorish design, Philadelphia's George Sharp produced a similar unnamed line...

Standing 4 1/2" tall overall on a splayed, 2 1/2" high, pedestal foot that is 3" across on the bottom, and with a bowl measuring 4 1/2" across, this solid silver footed bowl or small compote weighs 7.2 T. oz.

Designed and executed in an Arts & Crafts manner, and likely dating from the early 20th century, it appears to be hand formed, showing, for example, distinct hammering marks on the underside of the foot that carry through very subtly to the exterior surface...

One of the premier names in Philadelphia silver manufacturing in the second half of the 19th century, Peter L. Krider produced items that set a standard for design and quality.

This exceptionally large, 10 1/4" long, 3.1 T. oz., ice cream server validates the above statement.

The handle has a rounded end with a "Tipt" backside. The blade is triangular with an upswept, pointed, end, a rolled upper edge, and double, mirror finish, vees with rounded shoulders in the heel (see image 2)...

A 10 1/2", 3.9 T. oz., piece, this item is a long-handled salad server, although it could readily double as a platter spoon.

Made by Gorham, whose "lion, anchor, G" emblem and the word "Sterling" are imprinted on the bowl backside, the pattern is "Versailles."

Featuring imagery inspired by the palace from which the pattern takes its name, this shows a full-sized, draped, classical female figure...

Issued in 1895, Durgin's Empire draws from classic French design sensibilities. It incorporates a crown, cornucopia, torches, a crossed ribbon wreath, and other festooning on the handle front and back on this server, although place pieces have simpler laurel and acanthus leaf and ribbon detailing on the reverses.

This item is a quite remarkable ice cream knife. It measures 10 1/8" long, has a hollow handle, and a solid silver, flat, blade that can only be described as a cleaver...

This 8 3/8" long, 2.0 T...

A finely crafted piece rendered in neoclassical French Empire style, this item serves a dual function.

It is firstly a 4 3/4" by 3 1/2" by 13/16" high, hinged, oval box. The hinge is on the short end, with a lip for opening on the opposite end.

It is made of 950 fine, i.e. first standard, silver (slightly higher than sterling) and marked with a "Minerva head" on the lid edge, underside of the cover, and on the lip of the base.

It also has a small, hard to discern, "caret" maker's mark i...

Gorham issued a little known, often unrecognized and often unmarked, design named Imperial in coin silver in the 1850s and then re-employed the name for a different pattern in 1891, as found on this listing.

The later design incorporates a double lined border handle with a knob top. The central portion of the handle has a raised feature that appears to be, appropriate to the line name, a fleur de lis or the feathers in the Prince of Wales's badge.

This item is an 8 3/4...

Offered in both sterling silver and silver plate, Harlequin was a floral series issued by Reed & Barton circa 1890 and continued in production for nearly a century.

These eight pieces are from an original, old, set of 5 1/8" long, 4.56 T. oz. the group, 5 o'clock spoons marked with R&B's "eagle, R, lion" emblem and "Sterling."

The bowls all have the same soft satin very pale gold surface and are engraved with "HVR" monograms in flowing script lettering.

Cast rather than die struc...

A pattern entered into the 1892 costing books of the Gorham Company, Fifteenth Century was offered in a limited number of pieces, including this 8 1/2" long, weighty at 3.0 T. oz., (berry) serving spoon.

Singular in design, it appears to take its inspiration from early Scandinavian motifs.

The handle has a broad, rounded end with an engraved (leaf) surface. The mid and lower portions of the shank are block form and include a sharp-edged central ridge.

The bowl is large and round,...

This pair of grape shears (identified as scissors in period catalogues) is a far more consequential item than most of its kindred examples.

Model number "1772" made by Whiting, and so identified on the collar of one handle, along with a "925/1000" sterling designation, they measure 6 5/8" long and weigh a substantial 4.63 T. oz.

The handles are cast and solid silver and constitute the bulk of the weight, with the plated steel cutting end the remaining portion of the total.

One of the bl...

While this matched pair of large pieces, namely a 9" long, 2.73 T. oz. fork, and a 9 1/8" long, 2.67 T. oz., spoon, form a salad serving set, they could easily be adapted individually for any number of purposes.

The spoon for example would work as a casserole, rice, or fruit server, and the fork would work as a vegetable or entree server.

Made by Reed & Barton, whose "eagle, R, bird" emblem, "Sterling," and "Pat. Jan 6 1893" are stamped on the handle backs in fine lettering (see enlargemen...

One of the earliest names attached to California silver, Vanderslice & Co., dates to the late 1850s. Unlike many subsequent San Francisco firms which sourced much or most of their goods from Eastern manufacturers, Vanderslice was a primary source from its founding in 1857/58.

As recounted in Silver in the Golden State, Vanderslice & Co. became "the longest lived of the nineteenth-century San Francisco manufacturing firms."

This piece is a 9 1/4" long, 2.54 T. oz., coin silver berry ...

English in origin, this soup ladle measures 13" long overall and has a generously proportioned 3 1/2" diameter, 1 1/8" deep, hemispherical bowl.

Solid silver, it weighs 4.0 T. oz.

The pattern is Old English with a rounded, downturned, handle end with a Tipt backside. It has an exposed thumb drop on the join with the bowl.

Plain, this has never been monogrammed or inscribed. Its appeal lies in its simplicity of design and fine crafting, all preserved in near original condit...