Catalog

Along with several other artisans, Horace Potter was a founder of the "Cleveland School of Arts and Crafts" in 1898.

There is ample biographical material about him available online, including the site "chicagosilver," which notes that he graduated from the "Cleveland School of Art" in 1898 and maintained strong ties with Boston where he studied further and worked briefly.

The "New York Metropolitan Museum of Arts" holds a silver casket made by him circa 1907 which reflects the influence Ch...

George Cutten in his 1952 volume Silversmiths of Virginia, offers a lengthy entry about Norfolk smith Walter Pearce, whose mark is double stamped on this 13" long, weighty at 6.46 T. oz., solid coin silver soup ladle. Cutten incorporates particular commentary about Pearce's ethical and citizenly character, which no doubt established him as a person of standing in his community.

Catherine Holland in her encyclopedic work Virginia Silversmiths published half a century after Cutten...

Gorham's St. Cloud features a leaf and anthemion subject, with tight, circular, elements reminiscent of fern fronds, and shows Aesthetic influences, which is in keeping with its 1885 date of introduction.

This example of the pattern is a large, 7 3/4" long, substantial weight at 1.54 T. oz., solid silver master butter knife.

The flat blade is set at an angle to the handle and has a scalloped upper edge and gently rounded end.

The handle reverse is engraved with a fancy leaf scrip...

Made by Dominick & Haff, whose three part emblem, "Sterling," and the name of the retailer, "C.E. Woodward," appear on the handle backside, this solid silver, likely early 20th century, piece measures 8 1/4" long and weighs 1.8 T. oz.

It has a generously-sized, 3 1/2" by 2 1/2", flat blade with cupped and scalloped shoulders, and was probably intended as a hotcake lifter or pastry server.

The handle is a Pointed Antique design with a slightly downturned end. The front is bright cut ...

This original set of six 5 o'clock length, viz. 5 7/16" each, 3.9 T. oz. the group, teaspoons are early production examples of Whiting's Art Nouveau Lily pattern.

They are all marked with the company's "standing lion" emblem, "Sterling," "Pat. 1902," "R'd 1902," and with an Old English "O."

Further corroboration of their age is that they are sequentially dated in script lettering on the handle backsides, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908 and 1909 respectively. They are not ...

Duhme & Co. was Cincinnati's dominant silver and jewelry house during the second half of the 19th century and produced many discrete flatware designs, of which the one on this 7 5/8" long, weighty at 1.86 T. oz., solid silver dinner fork is unusual as well as uncommon.

It has a rounded end handle with a plain, concave back that is engraved in a script letter "JBS" monogram.

The front is ridged in a series of parallel swirls that overall are reminiscent of waves. The design relects a...

Dating circa 1865, this 8 1/2" long, 1.5 T. oz., solid coin silver berry or other large bowl serving piece was made by Albert Coles, New York City, whose three part "eagle, AC, bust" emblem appears on the back side.

A major manufacturer of his period, Coles was capable of producing sophisticated and well finished pieces and this spoon is exemplary of his work.

It has a twisted stem, which in this instance is a double twist, showing a smaller ridge between the larger ones (see center right ...

An early production example of Towle's Old Colonial flatware pattern, this piece is marked with the company's "standing lion in a shield emblem," "925/1000," "Sterling," and "Pat. 1895."

It is a 7 5/8" long, 1.5 T. oz., solid silver jelly knife.

The blade is long, narrow, pointed, and as is characteristic of this line, faceted, with scalloped shoulders and upper edge.

The design is a double Bead with Scroll detailing and a central open blocky area that resembles an ...

The larger of two sizes of fish servers that Gorham offered in its Buttercup pattern, the fork on this pair measures 8 3/8" long and weighs 2.9 T. oz., while the knife is 11 3/8" and weighs 3.95 T. oz.

Both pieces are solid silver and are early production items with scalloped and decorated shoulders. Later examples had plain shoulders.

An original, matched set, each piece is marked with the company's "lion, anchor, G" emblem, "Sterling," and "Patent 1900" and is engraved with a Old...

A highly regarded Albany, New York, silversmith, Robert Shepherd, 1781-1853, was a partner with William Boyd 1806-30 and work marked for them is especially collectible.

This piece, stamped "Sheperd & Boyd" with some blurring of the "Boyd," is a choice 3 1/2" tall, 3" top diameter, 4.7 T. oz. beaker. It is fully original, i.e. not converted or adapted from a mug as some handless cups are.

Similar pieces are held at the Met and the Clark Museums as well as in other collections.

It has a f...

Silver manufacturer George Shiebler was known for innovative and imaginative designs, but apart from his numbered Flora series, Art Nouveau offerings from this source were limited, with Fiorito his most fulsome and expressive full line pattern in this mode.

This example of the pattern is a lengthy, 8", 1.6 T. oz., cold meat fork.

Fiorito is multi-motif pattern, with the flower on this a poppy.

A single, slightly down turn, large blossom occupies the top end o...

An item first popularized in the late 1700s by John Schuppe, a Dutch silversmith transplanted to England, silver, and subsequently ceramic, Cow creamers aka milk pitchers have been sought after collectibles ever since.

This example is Dutch in origin and fully hallmarked on the underside for second standard silver (.833 or above vs. sterling at .925), a "Minerva" head duty stamp, date letter "D in a circle" for 1913, and maker's identifier "·HH·." The lion standard mark h...

This piece, a 6" long, 1.1 T. oz., solid silver sugar spoon in Whiting's Violet is marked "Pat. App. For," indicating it is an early production item, likely made no later than 1905, which is the year its patent was granted.

Other marks include Whiting's "standing lion" emblem and "Sterling."

A gracious Art Nouveau design, this interpretation of Violet speaks gently. It portrays a full blossom set at the shaped handle end and midpoint, with sinuous stems and one bud trailing b...

Catherine Hollan writing in her voluminous reference work Virginia Silversmiths, opens her multi-page entry for John Adam, 1775-1848, stating, "There were four generations of Adam silversmiths in Alexandria. John Adam, representing the second generation, is one of the more recognizable names of Virginia silversmiths."

This pair of matching, 5 7/8" long, 1.19 T. oz. combined, c. 1820, coin silver teaspoons are stamped "I·ADAM." for him, which Hollan notes "was one of the most wid...

The form on this 5 1/2" long, 1.13 T. oz., piece is commonly referred to as a bucket ladle after the shape of the 2" round, 1" diameter, tapered wall bowl.

Generally solid, the form is for cream, but this instance in Gorham's 1893 Kensington pattern is a rare pierced example, and likely intended as a sugar sifter.

The piercing is delicate and varied, and covers the base and the lower margins of the wall. The interior is finished in a bright bright gold wash, and the exterior, which ...

Introduced in 1890, Douvaine was the first of numerous imaginative Art Nouveau patterns that Unger Brothers issued through the first decade of the 20th century that continue to make a statement over a century after their introduction.

Douvaine features a dolphin or fish like image set at the handle tip, and a renaissance or gargoyle figure situated midway on the handle.

This is all surrounded by an array of flowing elements that include a crosse...

A matched pair, these, round, open, footed master salt dishes stand 1 9/16" high, have a top openings that are 2 3/8" in diameter, body widths of 2 3/4", and although identical in design and dimension, have slightly different, both heavy, weights, with one 2.09 T. oz., and the other 2.48 T. oz.

They are stamped "Bailey & Co." (later Bailey, Banks & Biddle), Philadelphia, on the undersides along with a "lion, S, shield," emblem and an additional "lion." This hallmark is often associated with G...