This 4 1/4" long coffee spoon is marked with a first standard .950 purity (slightly more than sterling) French Minerva, a bigorne, and the maker's stamp, which is an "L" and "M" flanking either side of a dome shape set at a cant. The handle is three dimensional and imprinted with a hanging leaf and berry design. The end of the handle has a cast knight astride a horse. He looks something in the manner of a crusader figure, with an upraised sword in his right hand...

At 8", this solid sterling silver pickle or olive fork is exceptionally long. It is also an unusual form, with three pointed tines, the center one of which extends beyond the other two. The pattern is Newport Shell by Frank Smith. This is a heavy weight pattern, which this is, in spite of its slender form. There is no monogram or removal. The condition is very good. There is no polishing wear, only slight surface scratches consistent with its age...

George Gebelein was known for "making fine reproductions and adaptations," and as a collector and authority on silver according to Dorothy Rainwater in "Encyclopedia of American Silver Manufacturers." He was a recognized participant in the Boston arts and crafts movement, and well-established in that city. This example of his work is a 9 5/8" long, just over 2.1 T. oz., serving spoon that is imitative of a c. 1800 coffin end piece with an exposed drop on the heel...

While unnamed, this c. 1870 design by George Sharp is quite similar to Gorham's "Louis XIV" and Knowles' "Emperor," both of the same period. It is double die struck, meaning the pattern appears on both sides of the piece. This example is a 6 1/2" long, 1.2 T. oz. sauce ladle. The handle is slender and elongated looking, and is joined to a 2" diameter, round shell bowl with a scalloped rim and a flat bottom...

Bearing the maker's stamp for Joseph Haywood & Co. of Glasgow, Scotland, date letter for 1862, and a rampant lion for sterling, this pair of tongs are generously proportioned. They measure 6" long and weigh approximately 1.8 T. oz. They are otherwise plain save for their highly elaborated, cup grips. There is a script "RFG" monogram on the arch. The are in mint condition. There is no visible wear, nor bends, cracks, or scratches even. The marks are fully legible.

Gorham produced this unnamed line of hollow handle serving items in the 1870's. It is somewhat similar to another Gorham design of the same period that is sometimes referred to as Hindoo. This example is a 7 1/2" long, just over 2 T. oz., sugar sifter. The style is vaguely Aesthetic. The handle has two applied leafy bands and is engraved. The four-lobed bowl is intricately cut, again in a leafy design which in this instance resembles palmetto...

Measuring 1 7/8" in diameter and standing 1 1/4" tall, this is a substantially sized napkin ring. It is model number 2165 made by Gorham. It is a plain band weighing .9 T. oz. and having a satin finish outer surface. This is engraved in a bright cut design and has a script "A.M.S." monogram. It is in very good condition. There are no bends, dents, cracks or tears. It retains a round shape and is free of polishing wear.

There was a time when even prominent large houses like Gorham and Tiffany understood silver plating to be another option to sterling, and not as perceived today, as something lesser. It might have been that plate better served the design process or the metals involved were more easily manipulated than sterling, or myriad other reasons it was employed...

Imprinted on the underside with the model number 5818A, this piece is also marked with the Gorham lion, anchor, G, the word "Sterling," and a date symbol for 1906. It is identified in the 1906 Gorham catalog as a "bon bon dish" (see image 3). It measures 8" in diameter, stands 2" high, and weighs 6.4 T. oz. The date is consistent with its decidedly Art Nouveau style...

The Tompkins book on Gorham master salts lists model number A2956 dating from 1901-2. It is illustrated with A2957 and A2958 which were identical pieces in graduated smaller sizes. This one measures 1 7/8" in diameter, stands 7/8" high, and weighs .5 T. oz. It has a round cauldron-shaped body that stands on four ball feet. The interior is finished in a gold wash. There is a broad rim with raised ribbing. The piece is in flawless condition and without a monogram or removal. Marks are lion,...

Measuring 4 3/4" in diameter, standing 2 1/2" high, and weighing a very substantial 9.9 T. oz., this bowl is item number A7815 made by Gorham according to the marks on the underside. Its purpose is uncertain, being much larger than a standard child's dish, one possibility. It could be a christening bowl. In any case, it was presented to "Harry M. Stevens" on "December 25 - 1909" according to the script inscriptions that appear on the upper wall below the rim. It sits on a tiered base and has...

Gorham's Angelo dates c. 1870 and is something of an esoteric pattern. It is one of several hollow handle designs Gorham produced about this period for which there is scant documentation. There is a very large, full line set of this pattern in the collection of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Museum and examples of it are in circulation, but it tends to be a collector's pattern. This example is a 7 1/2" long place spoon, probably dessert or oval soup. The squarish tapered handle has...