Dating from 1870, Swiss is an early line pattern in the Gorham stable. Presumably the design, which incorporates an oak (?) leaf on a pedestal with side scrolls and something of a fleur-de-lis top, reflects iconography associated with Switzerland. The leaf motif is carried over to the backside heel of the bowl on this 6 3/4" long, 1.8 T. oz. gravy ladle. The bowl is just off round, about 2 1/2" in diameter, and is quite decorative...

Patented in 1868, the first year that Gorham went to a sterling only standard, Rosette is a period design. It has lined borders with a scroll and fan or fleur-de-lis element at the top. A rosette, from which the pattern takes its name, occupies the lower central portion of the handle. The backside repeats the pattern, but with a simpler rosette. This item is an 8 1/2" long fish serving fork. It is solid weight at just under 2.4 T. oz...

Measuring 8 3/4" long overall, this pie server have a blade that is 4 1/4" by 2 5/8". It feels light in the hand, but actually weighs just short of 1.8 T. oz. It has a reverse tipt end and an engraved stylized floral and leaf pattern consistent with c. 1880 date. The look trends toward the aesthetic. The bright cut work is set against a satin matte ground and reflects a skillful hand. What sets this apart is the series of ripples with scalloped edges in the heel of the server...

Cinderella reads as a 1920's style interpretation of a courtly design, something akin to Sheraton or Hepplewhite were it employed on furniture. It features a prominent acanthus leaf element with a floret border and detailing, and a small oval cartouche, all presented in a formal fashion. This example is a pair of true ice, not sugar, tongs measuring 5 7/8" long and weighing 2.4+ T. oz. The grips are substantial and dramatic...

The long-handled version, this salad serving fork and spoon in Gorham's figural Old Baronial are large and heavy. The spoon is 10 3/8" and weighs 4.2 T. oz., while the fork is 10 1/4" and weighs 4.3 T. oz. These are old items, having the decorated shoulders that show up only on earlier pieces. Furthermore, the fork bowl has detailed piercings which again is characteristic of older items...

This 6 3/4" long, relatively light weight, sterling silver olive spoon was made by Fessenden and patented Mar. 7, 99 according to the marks on its reverse. The pattern is Newport, which is a fitting name for a Rhode Island firm to appropriate. It is a scroll and bead design with a floral adornment. The commanding element of the piece is the highly decorative, pierced bowl finished in a satin matte gold wash. There is no monogram or removal...

Stamped with the retail mark of Elmer G. Tucker of Worcester, Massachusetts, this 6 1/8" long, 1.1 T. oz., sterling silver sugar spoon was made by Durgin of Concord, New Hampshire around the turn of the 20th century. The pattern is Madame Royale. It features a lined border with overlapping acanthus leaves, and a scrolled top with leaf and berry detailing...

This item is the long variant of an olive spoon in Whiting's Louis XV. It measures 8 3/4" overall. The bowl is 2" of this and is especially decorative. It has a lattice work base with scrolled edging and shoulders that echoes the pattern. The surface is finished in a gold wash. There is a feathered script "RW" monogram on the handle while the backside is stamped with the Whiting logo, Sterling, and Pat. 1891. The condition is mint, showing no wear or damage whatsoever.

Measuring 4 1/2" long and having a 1 1/2" round bowl, this sugar sifter dates from the turn of the 20th century. The pattern is Diana by International, whose indian head mark and the word Sterling appear on the reverse. The design is an elaborate scroll which is repeated in the border of the fancy, star-shaped pierced bowl. This is finished in a frosted gold wash. The item is in flawless condition, free of polishing wear and with a fine finish. There is no monogram or removal.

This 6 3/4" long, 1.9 T. oz., gravy ladle has a shell-shaped bowl that is 2 1/2" wide and 2" front to back. The pattern is Lady Washington by Gorham. This is a low-relief, figural pattern similar in style and period to Tiffany's Renaissance. Lady Washington is easily subject to polishing wear. This suffers none of that. It retains full clarity of detail of the swags, drapery, and central female head that constitute the design. In all other aspects the item is likewise flawless. There is a sc...

While Mothers itself is a relative unassuming pointed antique design, this hammered version is quite dynamic. Produced in 1875, the hammered variant likely derives from the aesthetic taste of the period. Many mixed metal items have a hammered silver base with applied gold or copper, and this follows in that direction save there is no application. The piece is a 5" long, .7 T. oz., bonbon or nut scoop. It has flanged shoulders, a flattened tip to assist in its function, and an appealing retic...

This c. 1900 5" long, 1.3+ T. oz., solid sterling silver shoe horn has a double provenance. It was made by the highly regarded silver and jewelry manufacturer, George Shiebler, and retailed by Tiffany & Co. whose name needs no footnote. Markings for both firms, plus the word Sterling and the number 5838 are stamped on the reverse. Characteristic of Shiebler, the design is imaginative and individualistic. It is a series of entwined scrolls and ringlets suggestive of a woven fabric or conversely...