F Antoine Heller (1840 - 1904 )

We admire the different patterns of sterling flatware by the different companies, however we need to remember that someone had to create the designs. Each different pattern and, often, pieces within a pattern, are works of art. There are many better known sterling designers, such as J. Russell Price. My favorite, and one of the most famous, is Antoine Heller.

Heller was a French designer. His work was often of the Beaux Arts style. Heller patterns are very intricate in their design. An example, and probably his best known, is Mythologigue, that he created for Gorham. Introduced in 1895, of the 72 pieces in the pattern there are 24 unique designs.

But Heller started with Tiffany, where he was best known for Olympian (1878), another with multiple unique designs within the one pattern. Gorham was so impressed his work, they convinced him to leave Tiffany and design for Gorham.

While at Gorham he created Cluny (1880)



Coligni (1898)

Fountainbleau (1882)

St Cloud (1885)

Olympian for Tiffany

Cluny by Gorham

Gorham's Cluny pattern (1880) was designed by Antone Heller. A multi motif pattern named for the gardens surrounding the Hotel de Cluny in Paris, a medieval stone mansion built in the Middle Ages in 1485 in the Gothic style. 

Ice Cream Slicer (10 3/4 inches)




Vegetable Serving Spoon (8 7/8 inches)



Pie Fork (7 inches)



Orange Spoon (5 3/4 inches)

Coligni by Gorham

Gorham introduced their Coligni pattern in 1889.  Antone Heller designed the multi motif pattern. Heller was one of (if not the best IMHO) designer for Gorham. Earlier he worked for Tiffany. Other patterns designed by Heller include Old Masters (1885), Apostles (1885), Olympian (Tiffany 1878), Fontainebleau (1882), and Saint Cloud (1885).

Mustard Spoon (5 inches)



Individual Salad Fork (6 7/8 inches)



Fruit / Orange Spoon (5 7/8 inches)

Versailles by Gorham

Designed by  F. Antoine Heller and introduced by Gorham in 1885. The design of each terminal of the pieces of the Versailles pattern is said to be inspired by a scene from the palace at Versailles. Some of the designs come from the windows, some from the statutes, the artwork, etc. Very typical for the intricacy and incredible art of Heller designs. After Olympian, maybe one of his finest work, probably the most popular of the Heller patterns sold by Gorham.

Fish Fork (6 5/8 inches)




Short Handle Chocolate Spoon (4 5/8 inches)




Fruit/orange Spoon  (5 7/8 inches)








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

Fontainebleau by Gorham

Another beautiful pattern designed by F. Antoine Heller and introduced by Gorham in 1882. Fontainebleau, has a motif design on the terminals of each piece. Each piece features people bringing different pieces to the banquet table. For example, if you look on the gravy ladle and the serving spoon, you will see a man bringing (what looks like) a tureen. On the ice cream fork and egg spoon, the man is bringing individual cups (or servings). Only Heller would put this thought and detail into a pattern.

Small Ice Cream Fork (5 3/8 inches)





Serving Tablespoon (8 1/4 inches)





Knife (8 3/8 inches)



Gravy Ladle (6 7/8 inches)

Saint Cloud by Gorham

This pattern was credited to Walter Wilkinson when introduced in 1885  by Gorham. However, there is some belief that credit should go to F. Antoine Heller. It is heavily engraved and very ornate. 


Salad Serving Fork (11 3/8  inches)






Salad Serving Spoon  (11 3/8 inches)






Fish Serving Knife (11 3/4 inches)








Fish Fork  (7 inches)

Olympian by Tiffany

The Olympian pattern designed by Tiffany is an incredibly unique work of silverware. Dr. Hood describes it best.

HISTORY OF OLYMPIAN PATTERN "Tiffany Silver Flatware 1845-1905 When Dining Was an Art"

“The style is Academic Beaux-Arts. The patent application credits Edward C. Moore, but there is good reason to believe F. Antoine Heller also contributed. The pattern was first introduced at the Expositiion Universelle, Paris, 1878. Olympian is a multi-motif pattern with seventeen (17) different handle decorations depicting subjects and stories from classical mythology. The motif varies with whether a piece has a flat or hollow handle.

Each design is elaborate, and though sharply carved, can be seen to best advantage when the background is oxidized, as are all pieces offered in this listing. On the obverse of each piece, the design covers the entire handle and has an unusual horizontal orientation.

Although the concept of seventeen (17) different handle designs in one flatware service was original, the idea of depicting a finely detailed scene horizontally over the entire flatware handle just as if it were a frieze was not.”

There are lovely pieces within the pattern.

(Kidney shaped conch spoon)

(Gravy Ladle)

(Cheese Scoop)