Gorham 'Coligni' Old, Heavy Sterling Silver Serving Fork & Spoon

A matched pair, this 9" long fork and 8 7/8" spoon could be used in combination as a serving set or individually.

Heavy items, the fork weighs nearly 3.6 T. oz., and the spoon close to 3.4 T. oz., for just under 7.0 T. oz. combined.

The pattern is Gorham's Coligni. These are early, original issue, items marked with Gorham's "lion, anchor, G," "Sterling," and "Copyrighted '89" on the backsides.

This Antoine Heller design stands alongside other enduring Gorham patterns originated by this renowned artisan, such as Versailles, St. Cloud, Cluny, and additional ones.

Heller was a classicist, much of whose work reflects the Beaux Arts style. This mode is very much evident in Coligni, which is a multi-motif line that illustrates elegantly portrayed, draped, romantic figures arrayed amid opulent imagery.

The serving ends of these two pieces show beveled edges on the fronts, which are the result of raised channels on the backsides, which overall serves as an effective design detail and lends the servers added substance (see enlargement 2).

The bowl is ovoid, while the fork has three, rather wide, tines, the center one of which is triangular. Both items retain very faint traces of original gold washes on the servers.

Without monograms, the backside ends show nearly imperceptible wear that may indicate monogram removals.

In excellent condition, pattern detail remains sharp and well-defined, absent any softening from polishing. There are no bends, dents, or scuffs, and the finishes are bright.