Catalog: Silver: Sterling

length 10 1/8 inches, weight 3.34 Troy ounces, ornate four letter script monogram on reverse, excellent condition.

The blade features a restrained and well executed bit of engraving (please see third enlargement) with brite-cut foliage and shaded flowers.

or jelly cake knife, if you'd prefer, length 9 1/8 inches, weight 1.84 oz. Troy, excellent condition save for a long shallow scratch on reverse of blade (please see second enlargement), monogrammed in script on reverse.

The obverse features a refined bit of engraving, done by a skilled and steady hand.

length 6 5/8 inches, plated steel blades, very minor pinpricks at ends which we've exaggerated in enlargement number four but fine overall condition, monogrammed "C."

As collectors will know, if any of them remain above ground, knives in this elegant old Durgin pattern are scarce.

length 9 1/2 inches, weight 7.40 Troy ounces (!), excellent original condition, gilt bowl, monogrammed "M" (script, reverse).

For those of you who favor comparison shopping, a lighter and slightly beaten up version of this same piece may be "bought now" on the big bad auction site for a mere 591 moneys (see item 322373972047).

length 5 7/8 inches, monogrammed as shown, very light pattern wear but fine overall condition, weight 1.38 Troy ounces, and as we say here in Boston, "it's a baaahgin."

Compare our price with the folks who Replace your stuff @70.00

length 5 1/4 inches, weight 1.0 oz Troy, excellent condition, no monogram.

This piece is not commonly found.

retailed by Hardy & Hayes, length 7 3/8 inches, weight 15 Troy ounces, monogrammed "C", fine condition.

If pressed as to why you, dear reader, should buy these Iris fish forks as opposed to some others listed elsewhere on the interwebz, I'd have to say that ours are probably in better condition. If pressed even harder, I'd confess that these are also attractively priced.

contemporary (London, 1993) but of the finest quality, height three inches, weight 10 Troy ounces the pair, one minor abrasion as shown but excellent overall condition. A perfect gift to grace the table of your equine aquaintances.

For those who favor comparison shopping, a similar though inferior pair by this same maker weighing only 5.7 oz. Troy sold at Julien's for 875.00 (See catalogue of the Ronnie & Jo Wood collection, 10/26/2012, lot 308).

maker Ernest Eschwège, Paris circa 1920, sixteen by twenty-six inches, weight 82.6 Troy ounces, fine condition, no monogram.

With stylish foliate handles and an applied border, this is an exceptionally functional, high quality item.

It is also a bear to photograph, and these images sadly do not meet out usual standards. But have no fear, dear reader, we will try again, soon.

length 8 1/4 inches, weight 4.76 Troy ounces, very good overall condition (bowl retains some of the original gilding but is not blotchy), monogrammed "S.H.F." (obverse) and "'98" (reverse), retailed by Bailey, Banks & Biddle.

For those of you who favor comparison shopping, see item 150531578507 on the Great Bay of eeeeehs.

height 5 1/2; length across handle 6 1/4 inches, weight 14.1 Troy ounces, the body richly chased with rose flowers, foliage and a band of acanthus leaves below, the realistically formed wrythen grapevine handle fastened together with silver tacks (see second enlargement), engraved "Minnie / June 2nd / 1875" in cartouche under spout, capacity one quart, fine condition.

If only we knew a bit more about Minnie, a good tale might be told, but alas we know nothing of this lass.

Let's take a moment to reflect upon why a dealer, or at least Yours Truly, chooses to add an item to inventory.

Over the years, we've handled many many pieces of Martelé, and if you dear reader will forgive me for a bit of crudeness, most of them are "trashed." Specifically, the detail is severely worn away, leaving the beauty of the overall design still appreciable but no longer intact...

length 3 3/4 inches, weight .77 oz. Troy, no monogram, fine condition.

May I offer our apologies, dear reader, for having previously catalogued these as "Acorn"? Old age is taking its toll, here.

height 2 1/2; length 2 7/8 inches, weight 1.73 Troy ounces, fine condition, no monogram, marked as shown.

length 10 3/8 inches, weight 3.48 Troy ounces, no monogram, excellent condition.

As our friend Don Soeffing has recounted in "The Battle of the Birds" (Silver Magazine, November/December 1995), production of this pattern was short lived, because W & H lost this particular battle against Tiffany for infringement of their design pattern...

Ball Black & Company circa 1875, with satyr's head handle, stepped oval foot, finely engraved crest and body (please see third image), height 3 5/8 inches, weight 4.74 Troy ounces, some staining to interior as shown but excellent overall condition, no monogram in opposing cartouche.

length 7 5/8 inches, weight 1.37 Troy ounces (each), monogrammed as shown, fine condition, scarce.

awarded to the Schooner Marguerite, the undulating rim comprising twelve cast and applied foliate scrolled panels, the cast circular foot with waves, flowers and foliage, top diameter 11 1/2; base and height each six inches, weight 53.74 Troy ounces, a few very minor dents but excellent overall condition, richly gilt interior, engraved "Annual Regatta / on the 25th Anniversary of the / Eastern Yacht Club / July 17th 1895 / First Prize / Won by / Schooner Marguerite"

Marguerite was design...