Silver Pieces - The Strange and Peculiar: Marechal Niel

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 Marechal Niel. Show all posts

Monday, February 27, 2017

Marechal Niel by Durgin

A beautiful old pattern, Durgin introduced Marechal Niel in 1896. The name comes from a fragrant yellow climbing rose with little or no thorns. The rose itself was introduced in 1864.

Lettuce Serving Fork (8 3/4 inches)

Ice Cream Fork (5 5/8 inches)

Ice Cream Slicer (9 3/4 inches)

Orange Spoon (5 7/8 inches)

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Croquette Servers Part 2

More examples of the Croquette Server that posted on earlier. The piece varies in size from pattern to pattern. Also there is a pierced design and a solid design.

Old Master by Towle

Hepplewhite Plain by Reed and Barton (9 1/4 inches)

Rambler Rose by Towle

Marechal Niel by Durgin (6 7/8 inches)

Friday, February 10, 2012

Iced Tea Spoon (Part 2)

As I posted earlier, the Iced Tea Spoon, an iconic piece of every southern lady's table is very recognizable by its long stem.

Marechal Niel by Durgin (7 1/2 inches)

Lily of the Valley by Whiting (8 1/2 inches)

Violet by Whiting (7 1/2 inches)

Cambridge by Alvin (7 1/2 inches)

Albemarle by Alvin (7 1/2 inches)

Friday, September 17, 2010

Place Forks

Several months ago, I did a piece on all the place knives available. Here are all the Place Forks available. And, like I stated earlier, one would most likely never use all these pieces at one time (according the Amy Vanderbilt a formal setting should never have more than 3 forks. Should more be required then the staff will replace the ones from the earlier courses with the proper ones for the following courses.)

Dinner Fork (Cromwell by Durgin) (7 5/8 inches)