Silver Pieces - The Strange and Peculiar: 2014-10-19

The Story Behind this Blog

Being from the South, Silver is a very big part of my life. It doesn't have anything to do with wealth. Although those with more money - old money, tend to have more of it. New money tend not to spend their money on Silver. They do not have the appreciation for the warmth of the metal, the beauty of the patina, the story it tells of the generations past who have used it. A true southern girl comes of age when she chooses her silver pattern, long before she chooses her mate. If she is smart, she chooses that of her mother, grandmother, or favorite great aunt who in their benevolence will pass their silver on to her. It is the pieces in those sets, the pieces on our tables, along with the pieces we find in the corners of the displays in antique stores that prompted me to start this blog. They are beautiful, they are odd, but what are they, and what in the hell do you do with them?

Friday, October 24, 2014

Saint George by Reed and Barton

Dating back to 1918, Reed and Barton's Saint George pattern is fairly simple, especially when compared to Wallace's much more ornate pattern of the same name. However the detail on the tip of the terminal and the very end of the stem make it an elegant pattern.

Small Tomato Server (6 3/8 inches)

Preserve Spoon (7 3/4 inches)

Small Chipped Beef Fork (6 3/8 inches)

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Tree of Life by Reed and Barton

Another "modern" pattern, Tree of Life by Reed Barton only dates back to1974 but the intricate design on the flat handle is intriguing. The motif is one of a tree with branches, flowers, and birds.

Fork (7 5/8 inches)

Monday, October 20, 2014

Onslow Patterns

Onslow is a name used in several patterns by several companies that look somewhat similar. I am going to do my best to sort them out.

Onslow by Tuttle dates back to 1931 (Luncheon Fork 7 3/8 inches)

Onslow by CJ Vander (Dinner Fork 8 inches) Note the CJ Vander pattern has deeper lines, a thinner terminal and more pronounced fluting.

English Oslow by Wallace (Dinner Fork 8 1/2 inches) demonstrates even wider divide in the lines and more pronounced fluting.

I also found references to other patterns with strikingly similar designs including Onslow by Dominick and Haff, English Onslow (1969) by Worcester, and Onslow-Georgian Scroll (1935) by A.J. Stone. In all my research into sterling flatware I have yet to find a name used so many times by so many manufacturers for patterns that were so similar yet each unique.