Dating from the 1860's, William Vanderslice's "Gargoyle" is one of the few patterns that is truly indigenous to San Francisco, contrary to much San Francisco silver that was retailed there but with origins outside the state. It is a dramatic design, having an overall Gothic Revival sensibility. The piece is dominated by an open mouthed (appropriate to its namesake), lion-like figure set at the end of the handle. This example is a large, 11 1/2" long, heavy, approximately 2.8 T. oz...

Measuring 11" long and weighing 4.3 T. oz., this size coin silver ladle is often described as an oyster versus a soup, which is generally longer and can run to 14". It is stamped on the reverse with the three part mark of New York's Albert Coles and is an especially fine example of his work and mid 19th century American silver crafting in general. The shank is a solid square tube with faceted edges. The upper end of the handle is broad and flat with shaped margins and a "fan" top...

Measuring 7 7/8" long and weighing 2.2 T. oz. this is a small berry spoon. The pattern is Reed & Barton's enduring Art Nouveau "Les Six Fleurs." It is an original piece, to be distinguished from contemporary reissues and re-strikes. There is a flowing script "FCH" on the reverse. The condition is outstanding. There is no wear on the high relief and precisely detailed floral portraiture which is a hallmark of this pattern. Marks are the Reed & Barton emblem, Sterling, and the words "Pat...

These four matching, flat handled breakfast or tea knives are all 7 1/4" long and quite heavy. They weigh 7.0 T. oz. the group, or 1.75 T. oz. each. They have an Old English rounded end, and are otherwise plain save for the cross hatching between the rather thick handles and blades, and the elaborate high Victorian "JAB" monograms. They are without a maker's identification, but carry the retailer's stamp of Philadelphia's esteemed J.E. Caldwell, and 925 in an oval...

Issued in 1871 and resting within the Aesthetic mode, Tiffany's "Japanese" became a flagship design both for the company and the movement rooted in the 19th century's fascination with Far Eastern imagery. The pattern was reissued in 1956 under the name "Audubon," but the later pieces do not meet the standard of earlier ones. This 5 3/4" long, approximately 1.4 T. oz., sauce ladle is an original piece marked "Tiffany & Co.," "Sterling," "Pat...

A 19th form, this cake knife aka cake saw (taken from the sawtooth top edge of the blade), is 9 3/8" long and weighs 2.4 T. oz. It is flat handled and solid silver. The pattern is "Domestic," by Gorham, dating from 1881. It features intricate ivy detailing, with a small bee and dragonfly beside a central rosette, and a fan end. It is a pastoral and charming design, and touches upon the aesthetic mode with the insect figures...

Marked "Patent 1866" and with two lions flanking an "S," for Philadelphia's George Sharp, and Bailey, for the Philadelphia retailer, this pair of tongs measure 5 3/4" long and weigh 1.4+ T. oz. The pattern is referred to as "Ball End," for which Sharp is strongly identified. The form, however, is unusual in that the screw-in ball is attached to a three dimensional, 1" diameter by 1/4" thick, disk. This whole assembly comes apart. This is engraved with a star motif on one side and has a borde...

A relatively simple scroll pattern, Gorham's "Norfolk" also goes by the name "Villa Norfolk." This two items are a salad serving spoon and fork set. To be sure, while so designated, they could be used individually for a variety of purposes. The spoon is 8 1/2" long and weighs 2.4 T. oz. The fork is 8 1/4" long and weighs a similar 2.4 T. oz. Both pieces have flanged shoulders and gold washed serving ends, front and back sides. Apart from light scratches in the bowls, there are no signs the...

Gorham's Byzantine was an early, mid 1860's, pattern that had a double life. The pattern is as illustrated and has vaguely Moorish elements of tracery, scrolling, and even stylized papyrus. It was later appropriated to serve as the ground for Gorham's "Hound," which was this pattern with an applied cast hound literally screwed to the handle. This example is a large, 8 7/8" long, heavy, 3.0 T. oz., berry spoon. It has a ribbed bowl with notched edges and flanged shoulders. This retains a por...

This coin silver cheese scoop in Albert Coles' (NY) Jenny Lind stands apart on several counts. First, it is a form not usually seen by this maker. Second, it is in a form that pairs a solid shank with a hollow handle. While examples of this routinely show up in master butter knives, youth and pickle sets, and tea knives, this pairing in a substantial serving item is quite out of the ordinary. It is completely original, and self-evidently so, with the maker's mark stamped on the shank, and a ...

This sterling silver ice cream knife or slice is impressively scaled, measuring 11 1/4" long and weighing a robust 4.6 T. oz. It is the Repousse design made by Baltimore's Jacobi and Jenkins late in the 19th century. The company's name and emblem appear on the edge of the handle, along with the word Sterling. The blade has a scalloped upper edge. The chasing is intricate and very fine, appearing to be hand worked in whole or in part, and it is rendered on both the front and backsides of the ...

This silver ladle, marked "Pure Coin," measures 11" long and weighs a hefty 4.5 T. oz. It is somewhat smaller than a full-size soup ladle and is likely an oyster ladle. The pattern is Gorham's leaf motif "Josephine." An early line pattern, Josephine was patented in 1855 and proved popular enough that it continued in production past the 1868 date when Gorham adopted the sterling standard. This is an outstanding example, with a perfectly-shaped bowl that is free of bends or dents, and having a...