While "Olive" was a standard mid 19th century design, there were many variants. This 7" long, approximately 1.1 T. oz., example tracks to Boston, which had its own subsets of "Olive." It is stamped with the name "Haddock, Lincoln & Foss," a company with dates either side of 1860. Right on the cusp of the change from a coin to a sterling standard, this is marked "925" in an oval, for sterling. The backside of the handle is engraved "JAR to CA" in a handsome, carefully articulated script...

A truly massive piece at 9 5/8" long and weighing 4.8 T. oz., this vegetable serving spoon is an old example of Tiffany's "Chrysanthemum." It bears the company name on the reverse, along with the words "Sterling," "Pat. 1XX0," and a telling capital "M," which dates it no later than 1891. There is a script "EN" monogram...

This "Iris" design in an Art Nouveau style is a non full line pattern produced by Whiting. It measures 4 1/2" long overall, with a roughly 2" diameter bowl with a scalloped edge and reticulated center. Weight is approximately .5 T. oz. The backside is plain save for the Whiting emblem and the word "Sterling." Condition is outstanding.

Measuring 3 1/2" by 2 1/2" and weighing .8 T. oz., this sterling silver footed dish is item number 4020 made by Wallace and so marked on the underside. It is a fully true-to-life representation of a clam shell, specifically a quahog, which is a favored clam in New England for making chowder, and in Rhode Island in particular, for "stuffies." This sits on two ball feet, with the deepest part of the shell serving as the third resting point...

Truly massive weight at nearly 2.5 T. oz., this 7 1/4" long, three tine, salad (or fish?) fork was made by Dominick & Haff in its 1898 "New King" pattern. D&H's version of this English origin design, joins Tiffany's "English King" and Gorham's "King George" as the premier iterations of this motif in the American environment. This example is in flawless condition, evidencing no wear, having even, pointed tines free of nicks or burrs, and with a fine finish...

Marked on the underside with the Gorham lion, anchor, G, the word "Sterling," the model number "3025," and a date symbol for 1897, this round master salt stands 1" high, 1 3/4" in diameter, and weighs .7+ T. oz. It has a 3/8" wide, die rolled band around the body and a rolled rim top. The sidewall is monogrammed "KAS" in a flowing script. The interior had a gold wash, of which only pale traces remain...

While the appellation "New Tipt" would imply a plain, unembellished, design, Gorham's pattern that bears this name does not follow this assumption. It is quite detailed, trending toward an Egyptian Revival style. The lower portion of the handle is tubular, with beaded margins on either end. The broadened end features a pair of flanking leaves, possibly lotus, and an array of grassy elements set against a stippled ground. This item is a rare, 8 5/8" long, 2.1 T...

Made by John L. Westervelt of Newburgh, NY and stamped with the retail mark of "Champney & Smitten" of Brooklyn, NY, this sterling silver berry spoon measures 8 1/2" long and weighs approximately 2.1 T. oz. The pattern is "Ivy," a mid 19th century design that was one of Westervelt's most successful. It is double die struck, meaning the design appears on both sides of the handle. It incorporates carefully articulated ivy set against a somewhat Gothic inspired ground...

Later produced under the Mount Vernon nameplate, "Queen" originated with Howard of Providence, Rhode Island, and it is in fact Howard's four leaf clover mark that appears on this example. It is a 4 13/16" long, relatively heavy .4 T. oz., three tine strawberry fork...

Model number "435" made by Gorham, a similar companion piece numbered "437" appears in the company catalog of 1892 (see image 2). Measuring 4 3/8" long and weighing just under 1.0 T. oz., this form is sometimes identified as a tea caddy spoon, but the catalog illustration establishes it as a bon bon spoon. Such pieces were higher order in the Gorham stable and extra effort was invested in their design and production. They are also generally heavier than comparable pieces in full line patterns...

A perfume or cologne bottle, this is number 98 made by Wallace according to the marks on the sterling silver stopper. The piece stands 5 3/4" overall and sits on a 2 1/4" base. The finely cut glass body is tapered and has a frosted surface on the inner surface where the stopper fits. The stopper has a 3 3/4" long dabber that extends to the very bottom of the interior of the bottle itself. The sterling top has a slightly raised, circular flat surface that could take a monogram but in this ins...

This 6 1/8" long, slightly over .7 T. oz., spoon is an unexpected design produced by an unexpected source. The handle is an open spiral, something akin to a square twist such as Whiting and other manufacturers produced, but apart from that it is unique in the realm of late 19th silver flatware design. The handle has an overall hammered surface, with a rough end suggesting a torn or broken natural form. Indeed, this naturalistic, i.e. Aesthetic, sensibility carries over to all aspects of the p...