Silver Pieces - The Strange and Peculiar: 2014-11-09

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, November 14, 2014

Ecstacy by Amston

Isadore A. Lipman designed the pattern Ecstacy for Amston in 1951. It has a simple floral motif garnishing the tip of the terminal cascading just slightly down the side of the terminal a bit. The stem is clean of any lines or ornamentation with the exception of a brief touch of floral on the very tip just at the shoulder.

Master Butter Knife (6 7/8 inches)

Salad Fork (6 3/8 inches)

Iced Tea Spoon (7 1/2 inches)

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Grape Shears (Part 2)

Several years ago I posted on sterling "shears", both Grape and Poultry. Here I am going to focus on Grape Shears. These were designed as utensils to use when serving grapes to cut the fruit from the pulpy stems. The handles are usually ornate. These pieces are not easy to come by and can run anywhere from $500 to as much as $2000 a piece retail.

Chrysanthemum by Tiffany (6 5/8 inches)

Ancestry by Weidlich (7 inches)

Repousse by Kirk-Stieff (6 3/4 inches)

Monday, November 10, 2014

Floral Series #10 by Watson

Watson's Floral Series #10 has an open terminal similar to their Series # 4, but the stem of each piece in this pattern is a simple double line design. I could also find a Lily of the Valley motif in this pattern.

Wild Rose (Fruit Orange Spoon 5 7/8 inches)

Carnation (Five O'Clock Spoon 5 3/4 inches)