Towle, Flowers of Christmas Medallion Part 3

 For the past several years, I have posted on Towle's  Annual Christmas Medallion Ornaments. Here are some more examples.

Laurel (1986)

Holly (1988)

Chrysanthemum (1991)

Lobster Pick

Very similar to a Nut Pick, on first glance, the Lobster Pick appears to be either an unfinished piece or one of mystery use. They are fairly rare.

Eighteenth Century by Reed and Barton (1971) (7 1/4 inches)



Chrysanthemum by Tiffany (1880) (7 inches)



St. James  by Tiffany (1898)  (5 5/8 inches)



Cactus (1930) by Georg Jensen (7 inches)

Solid Waffle Server Part 3

I posted on the Solid Waffle Server earlier. Some of these pieces are beautiful examples of the design of their respective pattern.

Imperial Chrysanthemum by Gorham (7 7/8 inches)



Chrysanthemum by Durgin (8 1/8 inches)




Violet by Wallace   (8 1/8 inches)




Chantilly by Gorham (7 7/8 inches)

Ice Cream Server Part 2

The Ice Cream Server, as I have posted on before, is a lovely elegant piece. Usually the blade is decorated is a design in keeping with the pattern.


Chrysanthemum by Durgin (Large 10 1/8 inches)




Flemish by Tiffany  (11 1/2 inches)




Mazarin by Dominick and Haff (10 1/2 inches)




Rococo by Dominick and Haff (9 1/2 inches)

Chrysanthemum by Durgin

Durgin's Chrysanthemum pattern introduced in 1893 is, in my humble opinion, one of the finest examples of the art reached by the silver makers of the Victorian period. Some will consider this too ornate, but the detail in the design is what makes it so spectacular. George A. Muller designed this pattern for Durgin. The heavy floral pattern is in deep relief over each piece, with an opening left on the terminal suitable for engraving. The design even flows onto the bowls and tines of some pieces.



Gravy Ladle (7 7/8 inches)



Berry Fork (4 7/8 inches)



Ice Cream Fork (5 5/8 inches)



Individual Fish Knife (7 5/8 inches

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)

Individual Caviar Fork

The Individual Caviar Fork is another piece that can easily be confused with a Salad or Fish Fork, however it is usually shorter by as much as a half inch or more. 

San Lorenzo by Tiffany (5 3/4 inches)


Chrysanthemum by Tiffany (5 3/4 inches)



St. Dunstan by Tiffany (5 7/8 inches)



Marquise by Tiffany (5 5/8 inches)

Chrysanthemum by Tiffany

There are many Chrysanthemum patterns in sterling silver. I mentioned several in an earlier post on Chrysanthemum patterns. Tiffany's Chrysanthemum was designed by Charles Grosjean in 1880. Grosjean is also known for his design of the well known "Lap over Edge" mixed metal patterns for Tiffany.

On the very tip of the terminal of this pattern, you will find a Chrysanthemum flower open with the petals hanging down. The stem and terminal are covered with a design of petals and leaves. There is an open space on the terminal for engraving. This is a truly beautiful pattern and timeless given it is 133 years old.


Ice Cream Spoon (5 7/8 inches)


Place Salad Fork (6 5/8 inches)


Individual Salt Spoon (2 1/4 inches)



Large Ice Cream Server (11 inches)

Ice Cream Server

And, one more serving piece to add to the silver chest, the Ice Cream Server. Most patterns, that have one Ice Cream Server, tend to have it in two sizes, a large and a small.

English King by Tiffany (Small 9 1/8 inches)  (Large  11 3/8)




Chrysanthemum by Tiffany   (Large  11 /12 inches)



Wave Edge by Tiffany    (Large 11 3/8 inches)




Charles II by Dominick and Haff (Large 10 1/4 inches)

Chrysanthemun by George W. Shiebler

Another of the myriad of Chrysanthemum patterns. This one is by Shiebler. It is a lovely pattern with a deeply engraved floral motif design.

Large Solid Pie Knife (8 1/4 inches)





 Small Sugar Tongs  (4 1/2 inches)





Demitasse Spoon (4 1/8 inches)





Fork (6  7/8 inches)

Grapefruit Spoons (Part 3)

I posted earlier on Grapefruit Spoons. However, unlike the examples you may have seen earlier, these have a flat end to their bowl.


Chrysanthemum by Tiffany (5 3/4 inches) 

Broom Corn by Tiffany (5 3/4 inches)

Lancaster by Gorham (5 5/8 inches)

Baronial Old by Gorham (5 7/8 inches)

Cracker Scoop

Earlier I posted about different Cracker utensils. Upon further research this becomes a little complicated, but what about the Victorian era and their silver wasn't. Remember the Saratoga Chip Server I posted about earlier?  If the piece in the pattern is called "Cracker Spoon" but is pierced, chances are it is really the "Saratoga Chip Server". Some patterns renamed the piece as the "Cracker Spoon" in later years and sometimes it is just referred to incorrectly. That said,  here are examples of the Cracker Scoop with a solid bowl. Its purpose was to scoop oyster crackers (or other small crackers from a larger bowl) that would be served into someone's soup.

 (Other Posts about the Saratoga Chip Server can be found here.)

Luxembourg by Gorham (7 3/4 inches)

 

Japanese by Tiffany (9 1/2 inches) 

 

Chrysanthemum by Durgin (8 1/4 inches)

 

Baronial Old by Gorham (8 inches)

Old Style Ice Cream Spoon Part 2

I posted on Old Style Ice Cream Spoons earlier - just another iteration to a piece for a Victorian favorite, ice cream. The "Old Style" tends to be a little smaller, usually less than a 1/2 inch or so than the "Regular" ice cream spoon.

Chrysanthemum by Tiffany (5 1/2 inches) as opposed to 5 7/8

Vine-Gourd by Tiffany (5 3/4 inches) as opposed to 6

Florentine by Tiffany (5 1/2 inches) as opposed to 5 5/8

Persian by Tiffany