Silver Pieces - The Strange and Peculiar: Ancestry

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?

Showing posts with label Ancestry. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Fish Serving Fork - Small (Part 3)

More examples of the Small Fish Forks - Small

Chantilly (5 3/4 inches)

Luxembourg by Gorham (5 5/8 inches)

King Albert by Saart (6 1/4 inches)

Ancestry by Weidlich (6 1/4 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)

Friday, November 22, 2013

Telephone Dialer

This piece falls under the category, "You Just Never Know". This is the sterling silver Telephone Dialer - the perfect gift for that germaphobe or person on your list who has everything. Unfortunately, I do not think you will find them in every pattern.

Cordis by Tiffany (3 inches)

Ancestry by Weidlich (4 inches)

Bamboo by Tiffany (3 inches)

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Ancestry by Weidlich

Weidlich introduced Ancestry in 1940. The design is very similar to the traditional lines of Gorham's Chantilly with the exception of the floral motif added to the top of the stem and the fleur de lis at the base of the stem. It is a very attractive pattern.

Lemon Fork (5 1/8 inches)

Sugar Spoon (6 1/8 inches)

Individual Fruit Knife (7 inches)

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Bacon Fork

The Bacon Fork had short tines designed to pick up bacon. It is a rare piece because it was only produced by a few manufacturers and not for long. I'm not sure what was the reason for its demise. I can actually see a use for this, if someone was serving bacon. Also, sometimes referred to as Lox Server.

Ancestry by Weidlich (6 3/4 inches)

Click to Enlarge

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Bar Knife

What an odd piece of sterling - a Bar Knife. I would think that silver would be too soft to use as a bottle opener, but that is a bottle opener on the knife blade. (I assume the blade is stainless.) The blade is sharp enough to cut fruit (lemons, limes etc). The perfect accessory for the Bartender who wants to make a statement.

Supposedly it is available in all Towle, Wallace, International, and Tuttle patterns - (just in case you need that unique gift!)

(Shown in Ancestry by Weidlich)