Silver Pieces - The Strange and Peculiar: 2019-06-16

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, June 21, 2019

Ice Pick

There are all types of "Ice" pieces. Many of them hard to find, the Ice Pick, being one of them, shown here in 2 examples.

Louis XV by Whiting (5 3/4 inches)

Bamboo by Tiffany (7 1/4 inches)

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Mint Julep Straw

Every once in a while one reads about a unique sterling utensil, only to learn that there are few (or no) examples of the piece. So it is with the Mint Julep Straw. Not even knowing what I was looking for, I finally found 1 example. And in a pattern that dates back to 1888.

Rococo by George Shiebler (7 7/8 inches)