Catalog

One of the earliest names attached to California silver, Vanderslice & Co., dates to the late 1850s. Unlike many subsequent San Francisco firms which sourced much or most of their goods from Eastern manufacturers, Vanderslice was a primary source from its founding in 1857/58.

As recounted in Silver in the Golden State, Vanderslice & Co. became "the longest lived of the nineteenth-century San Francisco manufacturing firms."

This piece is a 9 1/4" long, 2.54 T. oz., coin silver berry ...

English in origin, this soup ladle measures 13" long overall and has a generously proportioned 3 1/2" diameter, 1 1/8" deep, hemispherical bowl.

Solid silver, it weighs 4.0 T. oz.

The pattern is Old English with a rounded, downturned, handle end with a Tipt backside. It has an exposed thumb drop on the join with the bowl.

Plain, this has never been monogrammed or inscribed. Its appeal lies in its simplicity of design and fine crafting, all preserved in near original condit...

Offered in both sterling silver and silver plate, Harlequin was a floral series issued by Reed & Barton circa 1890 and continued in production for nearly a century.

These eight pieces are from an original, old, set of 5 1/8" long, 4.56 T. oz. the group, 5 o'clock spoons marked with R&B's "eagle, R, lion" emblem and "Sterling."

The bowls all have the same soft satin very pale gold surface and are engraved with "HVR" monograms in flowing script lettering.

Cast rather than die struc...

Gorham issued a little known, often unrecognized and often unmarked, design named Imperial in coin silver in the 1850s and then re-employed the name for a different pattern in 1891, as found on this listing.

The later design incorporates a double lined border handle with a knob top. The central portion of the handle has a raised feature that appears to be, appropriate to the line name, a fleur de lis or the feathers in the Prince of Wales's badge.

This item is an 8 3/4...

Standing 4 1/2" tall overall on a splayed, 2 1/2" high, pedestal foot that is 3" across on the bottom, and with a bowl measuring 4 1/2" across, this solid silver footed bowl or small compote weighs 7.2 T. oz.

Designed and executed in an Arts & Crafts manner, and likely dating from the early 20th century, it appears to be hand formed, showing, for example, distinct hammering marks on the underside of the foot that carry through very subtly to the exterior surface.

The bowl, which somewhat r...

One of the premier names in Philadelphia silver manufacturing in the second half of the 19th century, Peter L. Krider produced items that set a standard for design and quality.

This exceptionally large, 10 1/4" long, 3.1 T. oz., ice cream server validates the above statement.

The handle has a rounded end with a "Tipt" backside. The blade is triangular with an upswept, pointed, end, a rolled upper edge, and double, mirror finish, vees with rounded shoulders in the heel (see image 2).

The...

A 10 1/2", 3.9 T. oz., piece, this item is a long-handled salad server, although it could readily double as a platter spoon.

Made by Gorham, whose "lion, anchor, G" emblem and the word "Sterling" are imprinted on the bowl backside, the pattern is "Versailles."

Featuring imagery inspired by the palace from which the pattern takes its name, this shows a full-sized, draped, classical female figure.

The handle backside has a reserve area, which is engraved with a flowing script monogram tha...

Issued in 1895, Durgin's Empire draws from classic French design sensibilities. It incorporates a crown, cornucopia, torches, a crossed ribbon wreath, and other festooning on the handle front and back on this server, although place pieces have simpler laurel and acanthus leaf and ribbon detailing on the reverses.

This item is a quite remarkable ice cream knife. It measures 10 1/8" long, has a hollow handle, and a solid silver, flat, blade that can only be described as a cleaver. It mea...

This 8 3/8" long, 2.0 T. oz., item is a superb example of mid 19th Boston silver work in terms of form, execution, and condition.

An Olive pattern, which was particularly popular in Boston in the period and produced with slight variation by several makers, it is marked "lion, F&H, bust," for manufacturer "Farrington & Hunnewell."

It is a hotcake, aka pancake or waffle, lifter.

Characteristic of the form, it has a 2 5/8" diameter, essentially round in this instance, flat server wi...

A finely crafted piece rendered in neoclassical French Empire style, this item serves a dual function.

It is firstly a 4 3/4" by 3 1/2" by 13/16" high, hinged, oval box. The hinge is on the short end, with a lip for opening on the opposite end.

It is made of 950 fine, i.e. first standard, silver (slightly higher than sterling) and marked with a "Minerva head" on the lid edge, underside of the cover, and on the lip of the base.

It also has a small, hard to discern, "caret" maker's mark i...

A large, 2 3/8" tall by 2 5/8" base diameter, and heavy 5.8 T. oz. silver content, this mustard pot is fully hallmarked on the side for Sheffield, England, 1914, sterling, and prominent maker Thomas Bradbury & Sons (TB & S in a shield).

The lid is counterstamped on the underside with the maker's mark and a lion passant for sterling.

Edwardian in period, but Georgian in style, it has applied top and bottom rims (tiered on the base) and a solid, scroll handle with a robust hinge attached to...

An prominent name among contemporary British metal workers, Michael Allen Bolton (1938-2005) produced signature jewelry, flatware, and small items in silver.

There is ample biographical information about him available online, along with illustrations of his products.

One UK source notes these details,

"He exhibited successfully at the Goldsmith's Company 'Loot' exhibitions from 1975 to 1981 and in their 'Contemporary Silver Tableware' exhibition in 1996. In that catalogue it stated 'His...

An elaborate figural design ssued in 1891, the central motif of Dominick & Haff's Cupid is a winged cherub. While always a cupid's face and portion of the upper torso, there is variation in the specific portraiture from piece to piece.

Overall, the pattern is rococo in style, featuring a series of scrolls and leafy elements arrayed in an asymmetrical manner.

This example, a 10" long, heavy at 3.9 T. oz., solid silver ice cream knife is one of the largest and most commanding serving...

Dating circa 1860, this 9 1/4" long, solid weight at 2.4 T. oz., pie server is an early example of California (coin) silver.

It is stamped on the handle backside, "Vanderslice & Co. S.F. Cal." for the firm established in 1858 which, as recounted in Silver in the Golden State, became "the longest lived of the nineteenth-century San Francisco manufacturing firms," suggesting that this piece, unlike much California silver of the period, was regionally produced.

The handle is a Frenc...

An early production piece in Whiting's commanding King Edward pattern, this grandly-scaled, 9 3/4" long, weighty at 4.0 T. oz., berry or other (rice, entree, or vegetable, for example) serving spoon is marked with the company's "lion and W" logo, "Sterling," and "Pat. Ap. 23, 1901," as well as the retailer's name, "Shaw & Berry Co.," Washington, DC.

The patent date corresponds with the ascension of Edward VII to the English throne and the beginning of the era named for him, so it is fi...

Hammered surfaces were often a mark of hand worked Arts & Crafts period silver work, and this piece is a study in that feature.

A relatively large, 7" tall, 5.17 T. oz., solid silver muffineer, i.e. sugar shaker or caster, every facet of the piece, inside, outside, and underside, shows dense hammering that has a chiseled character to it.

It was made by Redlich & Co., New York City, whose "animal head mark," the word "Sterling," and model number "7470" are stamped on the underside.

The d...

Exceptionally large, this solid silver pie server measures 10 1/4" long, has a blade that is 5" by 2 7/8" at the widest, and weighs 2.9 T. oz.

Marked "Ball, Black," "925" for sterling, and "Patent," the pattern is Arabesque, made by John Wendt, New York City, and issued in 1871. Arabesque is often (mis)identified as Monroe.

A Moorish design, Philadelphia's George Sharp produced a similar unnamed line. Whiting's version of Arabesque was introduced later in the 18...

An estate piece long held in one family, this chamber stick is a significant example of its form. It is stamped for London, 1801-2, sterling, and Robert Sharp, who is identified in Jackson's Hallmarks as an "important maker." Grimwade's London's Goldsmiths affords him a lengthy biographical entry.

It is large, with a base that measures 5 1/2" in diameter, 7" to the end of the solid finger grip, and stands 4" tall.

Solid silver, it weighs 9.4 T. oz.

The base has a raised ed...