A figural design, Gorham's "Paris" is, as would be expected from the name, French in style and highly decorative. It also one of Gorham's more robustly scaled lines, and that is the case with this 7 7/8" long, weighty, 1.7 T. oz., master butter knife. It has a script "A.T.A." monogram set on the horizontal. It is in good condition overall. The blade is free of bends, nicks, or burrs and the finish is appealing...

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...

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 only "Sterling," this c. 1860's pattern is a Whiting design commonly identified as "Calla Lily," taken from the three dimensional flower that adorns the end of the handle. This example is a large, 10 1/2" long, just under 2.6 T. oz., serving spoon. Described by one source as "jewelry-esque," this is assembled from a variety of parts, rather than being die struck as a unit, or a single casting...

This cream or sauce ladle is appealingly proportioned. It is 6" long overall, weighs .7 T. oz., and has an ovoid bowl that is 1 1/2" by 1 3/4" and weighs .7 T. oz. Its slender proportions present in an elegant manner. The tipt end is engraved "E.P. Ives." in a fancy, feathered script. The mark is "W.M. Root & Brother," which was a Pittsfield, Massachusetts partnership dating from the the 1850's, although the style would suggest an earlier date...

Marked on the blade "1847 Rogers" (International) and with "Meriden Conn." in a circle, this master butter knife measures 7 1/2" long and has a blade twisted at a right angle to the handle. The pattern is "Arcadian," which is one of the few silver-plated designs that rival comparable sterling pieces. The pattern features classical figures offered much in the manner of Gorham's "Versailles" or Tiffany's "Olympian" and dates from the same 1880's period...

"New King" is Dominick & Haff's version of an English origin design. It joins Tiffany's "English King" and Gorham's "King George" as the premier iterations of this motif in the American environment. This example is a 6" long, heavy, 1.5 T. oz., sugar spoon in flawless condition. The shell shaped bowl has a matte finish with a pale gold wash. There is no monogram or removal. Marks are "Sterling," the D&H emblem, and the name of the retailer, "Carter Bros" of Portland, Maine.

A 1905 pattern, Alvin "Sorrento" stands in a design category of its own. It does not follow after the Art Nouveau of the period, nor does it embody the neocolonial fashion that supplanted Nouveau...

This 8 3/4" long, nearly 2.3 T. oz., serving spoon is an old example of Gorham's "Strasbourg." It carries the early lion, anchor, G mark, along with the words "Sterling," and "Pat. 1897." In addition, it has the decorated, flanged shoulders that in later pieces was plain. The bowl has a gold wash that is substantially intact. The condition is flawless and there is no monogram or removal.

Whiting used a single bowl form for all its serving spoons in the "Imperial Queen" line, and that appears on this 7 1/2" long, 1.5 T. oz. small berry or preserve. It is in flawless condition and without a monogram or removal. The finish is lustrous. Marks are the Whiting logo, "Sterling," "Pat. 1893.," and an Old English "O."

Marked for Amos Cutler of Boston, measuring 7 1/8" long, and weighing just over .6 T. oz., the look of this Tipt End coin silver spoon is fully in keeping with its time and place. It takes on a different dimension, however, given the fine script inscription engraved on the reverse side of the handle. It reads, "Joanna Rich, Born Aug. 20th 1839," so clearly this was a youth spoon that is timelessly imbued with a history. An internet search unearths a Joanna Rich born in 1839 in Truro (on Cape ...

The genre is known as "souvenir spoons," but occasionally such commemorative items were produced in other forms. That is the case with this 6 3/8" long, probably youth, fork made by Watson. It is a heavy item, weighing 1.3 T. oz., and reflecting exceptional die work and finish. The word "Missouri" appears on a banner draped across the end of the handle. There are a remarkably high number of additional images portrayed on both sides of the remainder of the handle. These include the state se...