Silver Pieces - The Strange and Peculiar: Raphael

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 Raphael. Show all posts

Friday, April 11, 2014

Preserve Spoon (Part 3)

Once again, as I have posted about earlier, here is the Preserve Spoon. It can usually be differentiated from the jelly spoon by its more oblong bowl. You can see in the Raphael piece by Alvin, although the bowl is more rounded, it still has an oblong shape.

Stieff Rose by Kirk Stieff (7 3/4 inches)

Craftsman by Towle ( inches)

Raphael by Alvin (7 3/8 inches)

Princess by Watson (7 inches)

Monday, May 14, 2012

Raphael by Gorham

This very old pattern, Raphael, was introduced by Gorham in 1875. It is a "flat" but intricate design, with a large heart on the terminal suitable for engraving.

Sugar Spoon (6 1/8 inches)

Ice Cream Spade (8 1/2 inches)

Oyster Fork (6 1/4 inches)

Fish Fork (7 inches)

Ice Tong

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Lettuce Forks

A while back I talked about Salad Sets, however the Lettuce Fork is a rather unique piece.

Georgian by Towle (9 3/8 inches)

Alice by Fessenden (5 5/8 inches)

Les Cinq Fleurs by Reed and Barton (9 3/4 inches)

Hyperion by Whiting (9 1/8 inches)

Cambridge by Gorham ( 9 1/2 inches)

Rapheal by Alvin (8 7/8 inches)

Cherub by Watson-Newell (3 /7/8inches)

Waverly by Wallace ( 8 3/4 inches)

Stratford by International (8 3/4 inches)

Monday, August 9, 2010

Raphael by Alvin

This glorious art nouveau pattern was introduced by Alvin in 1902. Alvin is now a sub-division of Gorham. (But do not confuse this pattern with Gorham's Raphael pattern, which is a totally different pattern.)

Alvin's Raphael is described as a lady draped in sheer cloth. Her long hair flows around her down the piece of silver. Different floral designs including orchids, iris, and other flowers make each piece a little unique. For example, on the tongs she is standing under a daffodil with orchids on the pinchers.