Catalog

Hanau encompasses a broad category of silver produced in the late 19th to early 20 centuries in and around the German city of this name.

Stylistically it often mirrors silver from other countries, particularly France, and from earlier periods.

Marking is idiosyncratic, often even obscure, employing pseudo hallmarks that are generally challenging to identify.

This example is a 6" long, 1.1 T. oz. piece known as a "monkey spoon," which characteristically has a handle with a hooked...

Born in 1785 in Albany, New York, sources indicate that Thomas H. Carson was working as a silversmith in that city in 1810 and in partnership there with Green Hall 1814-19.

This lengthy, 8 7/8" long, 1.9 T. oz., serving spoon is stamped with the "C&H" mark indicating that partnership.

The form is consistent with the period. The handle is plain front with a rounded end and a midrib on the backside and a plain drop on the heel of the bowl.

There is a large, double lined, feathered script ...

A prominent Syracuse, New York silver manufacturer with a history that spanned the second half of the 19th century and lasted until early into the 20th century, Joseph Seymour produced a number of flatware patterns in coin and sterling silver.

The Square Handled Engraved pattern on this 7 5/8" long, 1.2 T. oz., jelly knife in sterling is one that does not have a lot of design parallels, either with Seymour or other producers.

The handle is flat, and as the name implies, has straight...

A substantially sized item that measures 7 1/2" long and weighs just under 1.4 T. oz., this master butter knife traces to mid 19th century Boston.

It is stamped "Shreve, Brown & Co.," which was an 1857-60 partnership in the chain of evolution for the firm that eventually became Boston's carriage trade "Shreve, Crump & Low."

It is also marked "Sterling," which is early for this period when coin silver was the prevailing silver standard.

The handle is an upturned "Oval Thread," plain on t...

This 7 1/4" long, .93 T. oz., coin silver jelly or preserve spoon is marked "R. Smith" over "Newark" for Richard Smith, 1827-1904, generally identified as a jeweler.

A highly decorative item dating from the 1860s, it has a twisted stem joined to a scalloped edge, slightly upturned handle. This has a central shield shaped reserve surrounded by a textured background with wriggle work and bright cut engraved detailing.

The handle backside is plain save for wriggle work around the margins and ...

Likely a preserve, although possibly a large sugar, spoon, this piece measures 6 13/16" long and weighs approximately 1.1 T. oz.

An "Olive" pattern, it was made by Farrington & Hunnewell, whose multi-part emblem appears on the handle back but is over stamped by the name of the retailer, "A.F. Burbank," Boston, 1853-67, and Worcester, 1867-80, Massachusetts.

It is also marked "Pure-Coin," which is a characteristically New England term for the silver standard.

While "Olive" was a generic ...

Marked on the reverse "Palmer. Bachelders & Co.," this 6 7/8" long, 1.4 T. oz., coin silver serving spoon traces to 1860s Boston.

The pattern is Olive, which while a standard design that was widely produced, and notably popular in the Boston area, there are variations in design among manufacturers.

This example shows clean style, with balanced proportions and well-articulated detail.

A preserve spoon, it has a shell form bowl that is finished with a bright gold wash front and bac...

A popular motif in mid 19th century silver design, the (acanthus) Leaf design of this 6 7/8" long, 1.2 T. oz., coin silver preserve spoon was produced by a number of makers, including Albert Coles, whose "eagle, AC, bust" emblem appears on the handle backside .

Gorham was another company which produced a leaf design. That line, named Josephine, was nearly identical to Coles', and patented in 1855, which is the approximate date of this piece.

It has a shell form bowl with scal...

Measuring 6 1/8" long, this relatively heavy at approximately 1.3 T. oz. sugar spoon is an early production example of Reed & Barton's Art Nouveau Intaglio pattern issued in 1905.

It is marked with R&B's "eagle, R, lion" emblem, "Sterling," and "Pat. Appl'd For," all in fine, precise lettering as would be expected on an old piece.

It also carries the retailer's stamp, "Cady & Olmstead," Kansas City, Missouri, and as was customary with this multi-motif floral line, the name of the fl...

This preserve or jelly spoon measures 6 7/8" long and weighs 1.0 T. oz.

It is a mid 19th century, coin silver, piece in a French Thread aka Fiddle Thread pattern.

The 2 1/4" bowl is shell form with a scalloped and notched edge and high, rounded, shoulders at the join with the handle.

Never monogrammed, it is in excellent condition, absent polishing wear, free of dents, bends, or tears in the bowl, and with a pleasing patina. There are light surface scratches consistent wit...

Dating from the middle third of the 20th century as indicated by the particular "S. Kirk & Son Sterling" mark that appears on the handle backside, this 5 3/8" long, approximately 1.0 T. oz., round bowl piece is variously identified as a cream or mayonnaise ladle.

The pattern is the company's signature "Repousse," featuring an array of high relief, satin finish, flowers and leaves.

The backside is plain and never monogrammed.

In flawless estate condition, this is free of any evident wear...

Listed as a jeweler and watchmaker (although Flynt and Fales in the Heritage Foundation Collection of Silver note that "silverwork has been attributed to him") who engaged in several partnerships beginning in 1820, as well as operating singly 1825-34, Thomas Aspinwall Davis, b. 1798, was a Boston citizen of note. In fact, he was serving as mayor when he died in 1845.

This pair of oversized, 6 5/16" long, 1.2 T. oz. combined, tea or place spoons are stamped "T.A. Davis," dating them to ...

Likely a bottle or cruet holder, this item is rectangular with rounded corners, stands on four ball feet, and measures 6 1/2" long by 3" wide by 2 1/2" tall.

English Georgian in style, the bottom edge of the body is encircled by an egg and dart band, while the top has an applied gadroon band on the outside edge.

The side has two plain areas, top and bottom, separating a central pierced, convex, strip.

The bottom is made of fine grained, dark wood, which has been ...

A 19th century silver manufacturer with a long history, Joseph Seymour, Syracuse, New York, entered into a number of partnerships, one of which was with Benjamin Norton and David Hotchkiss from 1854 to 1857.

The mark on this 7" long, 1.3 T. oz., flat handle, coin silver master butter knife, "bust, NS & Co.," was used during that partnership.

While Seymour produced a number of named patterns, the one on this is known but unidentified.

It is die struck and portrays a draping leaf that is ...

Bearing two telling marks, "S. Kirk & Son" used by the renowned Baltimore firm 1846-51, and "10.15" for the distinctive regional silver standard designation which is slightly less than coin, this place spoon measures 7" long and weighs 1.06 T. oz. (33 grams).

A handsome and well crafted piece, it has a Fiddle shaped handle with a subtle Tipt backside. The bowl has an exposed drop, and high, pointed and beveled, fins at the join with the handle.

The handle front is engraved wi...

This master butter knife measures 7 1/4" long and weighs 1.0 T. oz.

Straightforward in design, it has a (Fiddle) Tipt handle set at a right angle to a scalloped edge, pointed end, blade.

Architectural in manner and ruggedly plain, it has flat surfaces throughout. The handle tapers to a square, solid, block where it joins the blade (this strengthens the piece at this natural stress point).

The piece is without adornment, although its clean, serviceable, character and balanced prop...

Designed and introduced by silversmith Albert Coles, New York City, in the mid 19th century, the flatware pattern Jenny Lind met with success in the marketplace and was in time produced by other manufacturers in addition to Coles.

This 8" long, approximately 1.6 T. oz., coin silver place spoon (tablespoon in today's usage) is an early example, stamped with Coles' three part emblem and the name of Rochester, New York retailer "[Elias S. and Jacob] Ettenheimer."

It is also engraved in...

The name Parisen is associated with four noteworthy 18th to early 19th century New York City silversmiths and jewelers. The senior one was Otto Paul DeParisen, born in Berlin, Germany in 1735, and the others are his three sons, Philip 1761-1822, David 1765-?, and Otto W., 1770-?

The "Parisen" mark that appears on this unusual length, 6 1/2", approximately .7 T. oz., place spoon, was apparently used by more than one of the sons (references vary about attribution).

Sharply honed, it has a