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?

Monday, November 2, 2015

Damask Rose by Onieda

Oneida introduced Damask Rose in 1946. It was designed by Grosvenor N. Allen & Mary Parker Fleming. Grosvenor is also credited with the designs of Stanton Hall (1951), Ribbon Rose (1942), and Castle Rose.

Baby Spoon (4 3/8 inches)



Butter Spreader (6 1/4 inches)




Medium Cold Meat Serving Fork (8 1/4 inches)



Cheese Server (6 1/2 inches)

8 comments:

  1. I find this pattern as unappealing as R & B's "Classic Rose." I tend to favor the more neo-classical designs of the 1910's, which this resembles in shape, and I like the focus on the terminus, but please--no roses on this style of flatware. A few urns and swags are OK--but no roses.

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  2. I do not care for most of the patterns introduced after 1940, especially the "streamlined" ones.

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  3. Agreed, although every era has a wide variety of patterns. It's just that certain types tend to be more numerous in certain eras (aesthetic, art nouveau, neo-classical, art deco, etc). Question: Do you think sterling will ever be used as widely as it once was, or have dining habits changed so greatly that its usage is now becoming obsolete?

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  4. My greatest fear is that the value of the metal itself will do away with the antique flatware. More and more I find that pieces are marked with a price and a weight for those looking for scrap. They care little for the art and value of the antique. They just see the value of the metal in the old fork. But, I see people, at least the ones I know who enjoy entertaining at home incorporating what sterling they have into their table. I encourage everyone to use it daily - after all what good is it doing sitting in a drawer or chest. Food to me tastes better on sterling. The heft of each piece gives me a warm feeling as I hold it. And nothing pleases me more than the patina, scratches, and wear of old family sterling. I have preached so long that everyone who knows me who had some sterling packed away now has brought it out and uses it. I was amazed at how many had multiple sets in different patterns that they could not identify. I was happy to help them identify the pattern and give them history of the pattern, the designer (if one was known, the company, and the era. I guess you could say this is not only my passion but my mission. And, BTW, I appreciate your interest in my Blog - it too is a labor of love. Although sometimes I feel as if I am a voice crying in the wilderness.

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  5. Certainly the internet has made your job a lot easier. When I was in grad school, the jewelry store at which I worked held a silver clinic every summer. An elderly appraiser who lived in Florida came up and advised people on which of the silver they bought in was worth repairing and which was not. Identifying the maker was a lot more difficult in those days,

    I remember that he liked sterling flatware, but thought that a heavy silver plate over a solid base metal, such as nickel silver, made a lot more sense for hollowware, since sterling holloware is easily dented and bent. I tend to agree, so I have little sterling hollowware. tt's price is also formidable!

    Like you, I shudder at the thought of scrapping my sterling. Still, if the wolf were at the door, it would be there to fall back on. . . (However, that would have to be one TERRIBLE wolf!)

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  6. My mother-in-law's pattern. Now my silver. Thanks for the post.

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  7. Thank you for reading the blog. Enjoy the sterling!

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  8. Thank you for reading the blog. Enjoy the sterling!

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