Britannia Fine Antique Silver

A Royal Silver Tea Caddy

2010-03-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

On a recent buying trip we found a tea caddy in the shape of a picnic basket with two sides that flap open. The royal coat of arms on the lids is that of the King of Hanover, Ernst Augustus who also happened to be the 5th son of King George 3rd. He was the Duke of Cumberland. Remember that the Kings of England came from Hanover. They were selected after Queen Anne died without heirs. The throne passed to the descendants of James VI of Scotland in Hanover. Queen Victoria would have become Queen of Hanover when she ascended the throne but a law prohibited a woman from taking that position and so it was passed to the Duke of Cumberland.

After viewing a recent television program on the young restless royals of Europe the focus fell on the Hanover heirs and they declared that because of their need to raise funds they put up the family silver in London and that is how this came to be on the market.

If you would like to see more detailed pictures of the tea caddy take look at:
http://www.silverperfect.com/Inventory/tea%20items/hanovertcaddetail.html

Why all the French Touchmarks on Tiffany 1880 Silver

2009-06-15T20:01:00.000-07:00

I have noticed that on so many of the better Tiffany pieces from the 1880 period that have come up on the market a large percentage bear French touch marks. They were obviously sold in France and most probably at the Tiffany store in Paris.

I am aware that the Tiffany Paris store was very important in the last quarter of the 19th century. In fact I was told by a reliable source that the Tiffany store in Paris was treated on a par with the New York store by Tiffany and Co.

Chatting to a very knowledgeable collector who was showing me a museum piece of Tiffany from the 1880s the other day, I drew his attention to the French control mark. He shrugged and calmly said that France was where all the money was at that time and where the real collectors were.

Putting it all together, I would guess that many of the important pieces were sold in France and that was mainly because the economy was not so strong in America at the time. Most people do not know that Wall street went through a terrible period in the last quarter of the 19th century.

www.silverperfect.com

A surprise in a box

2009-06-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

Almost 25 years ago when I was in Portobello Road in London one Saturday morning I noticed an amazing child's cup in the most amazing condition and in the original box. The combination of the satin finished silver areas combined with the green gold parcel gilt and engraving was a lesson in the finest engraving and the finest example of the Aesthetic Movement.

I purchased the mug and went off on my way. I knew the dealer and I was surprised when a few minutes later they asked me if I would let them have the mug back because they did not really want to sell it.

This happens quite often in the antique trade and it could be a case of remorse on the part of the seller or anything else that would pass through the mind of the seller after too little sleep on a Friday night before the market.

I stood my ground and sounding a bit like Basil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers I said: "What is the bloody point of me looking on your stand in the first place if you want it back within a few minutes". They backed off and all was forgotten. It was not mentioned again.

The cup was sold in Kansas City at a show in that same year.

A few days ago I spotted the cup on the east coast and purchased it back. I recognized the inscription and the fantastic condition.

Twenty Five years later I was holding something that I had owned before and it was quite an odd feeling. One realized that these trinkets will outlive us all and we have to treat them as if we are just caretakers.

Take a look at the mug and details by clicking on the link below

http://www.silverperfect.com/Inventory/novelty%20items/engaesthcupdetail.html

http://www.silverperfect.com/

Schultz and Fischer and George Shiebler

2009-05-29T08:05:00.001-07:00

Schultz and Fischer leaf form bowl with handle and bug

I had no idea that Californian silversmiths were making silver in 1880 that looked exactly like the work of George Shiebler in New York. Shiebler used leaves and bugs held together with silver pins and usually lightly gold washed the pieces.

We recently found a most unusual version of this type of work by Schultz and Fischer. I had to scratch my head to work out the maker because the mark was not that clear but we managed to put it together and it all made sense.

http://www.silverperfect.com/

Tiffany Vine Shown at the Columbian Expo

2009-04-13T21:38:00.000-07:00

Tiffany Columbian Expo Mark

Tiffany Vine Forks Displayed at the Columbian Expo 1983

About 20 years ago I acquired a lightly gold washed dessert set in the Tiffany Vine pattern. After I got it home I examined it closely and noticed that five of the individual place pieces had a strange mark added to the reverse of the bowls. It turned out to be the Columbian Expo mark from 1893 indicating that these pieces were on display in Chicago in the Tiffany pavilion.

A few weeks ago the same thing happened. I purchased 11 forks in the Tiffany Vine pattern with that same gold wash. 5 of the forks are struck with that special mark. These pieces were all part of the same set.

About 3 years ago the Flagler museum in Florida held an exhibit of Tiffany silver exhibited at the Columbian Expo and I went to see the exhibit. I bought a book about the Columbian Expo pieces made by Tiffany and read at the back that Tiffany made sent 118 pieces of Vine to the exhibit.

To see the detailed pictures of the forks click on the link below:

http://www.silverperfect.com/Inventory/recentacquisitions/tfnydaisycolfksdetail.html

The Gorham Narragansett Pattern

2009-03-29T14:59:00.000-07:00

Rare Gorham Narragansett Preserve Spoon 8 3/4"

Over the past 30 years we have had the good fortune of finding many rare flatware items but the pattern that remains in our minds as the most exotic and rare is the Narragansett pattern by Gorham.

We recently found a rare preserve spoon which measures 8 3/4" long. There are numerous fish included is the applications to the central shaft among the other nautical creatures such as shells, crabs. clams and conch shells. These items are cast and applied individually and the detail never ceases to amaze admirers who examine the intricate handles.

Gorham went to such lengths to make the spoons look realistic that they included tiny globules of silver "sand" in the design. This gives the spoons the appearance of having being removed from the ocean floor. It is as if the spoon had been lying at the bottom of the ocean and the result is the encrusted look and feel. No wonder every silver collector who understands what Gorham was trying to do wants to own a piece of Narragansett.

I remember being fussy and turning down large pieces of Narragansett pattern because the Gorham hallmark was not visible. I think this was a mistake because the marks were probably lurking somewhere beneath the shells and fish and seaweed. Some pieces are marked in the bowl of a shell at the terminal but most have the Gorham hallmark on the central shaft together with the sterling mark.

Recently I found Gorham date letter for 1884 which really was exciting. This tells us that the Narragansett pattern was definitely made in the hollow ware department at Gorham and also that it was a really early example. It had great weight and proportion.

Take a look at our site to see the Narragansett preserve spoon under Recent Acquisitions:
http://www.silverperfect.com/

Christopher Dresser and Tiffany

2009-02-18T16:34:00.000-08:00

Christopher Dresser had a huge influence on design in Britain and America and until recently I was not aware of his collaboration with Edward Moore of Tiffany.

This rare and important Tiffany tea caddy has Japanese influenced applications including the decorated ivory plaque on the front with two copper jesters. The ivory plaques are rumored to be part of a large purchase made in Japan by Christopher Dresser on behalf of Edward Moore for Tiffany.

The futuristic sputnik finial looks as if it was inspired by the novelty toast racks that James Dixon of Sheffield made from Christopher Dresser designs.

If you would like to see this tea caddy and other important Tiffany pieces please click on the link below

http://www.silverperfect.com/Inventory/rarehollowware1.html

What the words inscribed on Shiebler pieces mean.......

2009-02-16T13:57:00.000-08:00

Shiebler letter opener with "shalom" engraved in Hebrew

Shiebler Pin with the word "Roma" Engraved

George Shiebler's engravers used Roman and Greek related words on their Etruscan pattern flatware, hollowware and jewelry and many people are curious as to the purpose and meaning of the words.

After acquiring quite a few pieces and checking around I think I can safely say that the words are meant to look as if they were dug up with the old Roman and Greek pots and pans in an excavation.

The letters of the alphabet appear Greek or Roman in style but the words are meaningless.

I found a letter opener and paper knife with the Hebrew word Shalom inscribed. That was a first for me.

The medallions in the Shiebler Etruscan pattern have many varieties but the Roman centurion is quite clearly just that. The Greek medallions look like the ancient Greek busts.

Conclusion: After looking up the meaning of the word Etruscan, I learned that the Etruscan period refers to a culture that developed in Italy in about 800BC. This was followed by a period of Greek influence in Southern Italy dominated by Greek traders.

http://www.silverperfect.com/

The Importance of 19th Century American Silver

2009-01-10T15:32:00.000-08:00

In the early 1980s few museums would give up shelf space to American Silver. This was a great pity. I remember visiting prominent museums and seeing row after row of boring tankards; all the same, lined up like soldiers.
Any collector with an eye for the unusual would take special notice of the Japanese movement, and the Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th century. Finally there was an awakening spearheaded by the Dallas Museum in 1989 with the Christies sale of Sam Wagstaff's collection.

I heard a story from a dealer who has since passed that when she was planning to send her children to university, she invited Sam to her vault and opened up her drawers of silver flatware for him to pick through. Naturally he chose the best with an eye for what was great and important.

The Sam Wagstaff sale catalogue is still one of the most sought after Christies catalogues today and used as a reference book.

While British makers such as Elkington had a few great moments manufacturing special pieces of the same period and designs, the American makers like Whiting, Shiebler, Gorham and Tiffany were way ahead in design and technique.

http://www.silverperfect.com/

Antique Shows

2009-01-09T19:41:00.000-08:00

Antique shows are an excellent place to meet up with very experienced dealers. At most of the larger conventions like the Miami Beach and other Florida shows a collector can have fun meeting up with some real characters.

Most of the dealers I know have been in this business for just about 30 years. Many started off as kids as I did in 1979. They have had such exposure to the market that it is a shame that there is no law that makes it mandatory for them to put their memoirs in writing. I would match them up against the most experienced licenced appraiser any day. Knowledge that one gets off the street is just as valuable as information one can read up in a journal or a book of rules.

Getting to the top of the food chain is also expensive. The dealers that get to the top make mistakes along the way. As painful as this can be at the time, these mistakes fortify them against future mistakes and make the dealer sharper.

Other great shows are the Baltimore Summer Antique Show on Labor day week end. Here one can find almost every silver dealer in the country under one roof. Unique opportunities and with the world becoming a more expensive place every day, it would be advisable to attend before it is too late and before the Internet takes a toll on these events.

I hope you find these notes helpful. Feel free to e-mail questions about Antique Silver.

www.silverperfect.com

The Flight to Quality

2008-11-22T11:40:00.001-08:00

During the last few months we have noticed that prices on finer items have been holding up quite well.

Major auction houses have managed to sell most of the important pieces of silver within the estimated range.

This has been most encouraging for both dealers and collectors. Watching some of the bidding one would never know that we were in a recession. However from an investment point of view it is far better to purchase a single significant piece rather than a group of pieces that are purchased because of reduced prices.
http://www.silverperfect.com/

2008-09-17T06:19:00.000-07:00

DID YOU KNOW

2008-08-16T08:38:00.000-07:00

Gorham was the world's largest manufacturer of silver in the late 19th century.

London in the 1980s

2008-05-04T13:44:00.000-07:00

Portobello Road

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London has always been at the center of the antique silver business. Most of the major auction houses were started in Britain.

British Dealers are very astute and capable. Most of the dealers have been in the business for two, three and sometimes even four generations. The London dealers all form part of a large pyramid of dealers with a pecking order that one can hardly forget after being involved in the business over there.

As an outsider coming into the market from the USA, I learned that a buyer would have to be decisive in order to gain respect. There was also a fine line that I felt could not easily be crossed.

One Saturday morning at 6 am on Portobello Road, I knocked on a door of a shop seeing a group of dealers unpacking boxes inside the store. I saw heads shaking and fingers pointing at watches and knew that I was not welcome at that moment. The rules were made to keep insiders in after all.

I just happened to see a Gorham three piece mixed metal triangular shaped tea set on the floor and knew that that was the reason I was not admitted. The dealers knew what I would be interested in after all. I waited until the doors opened and ran after the dealer who had packed up the tea set.

I bought the tea set in the street at a profit to him.

That was the way it worked. I recovered my composure quickly and went on to have a good morning shopping.

The lesson here was not to begrudge a dealer a profit but to do business. He got out of bed for the same reason that morning... to earn a profit. I was looking for something glorious and specific to take back to the States and have something to offer to my customers.

http://www.silverperfect.com/

Britannia Fine Silver

Makers and styles

2008-05-03T13:36:00.000-07:00

An example of a typical Tiffany serving piece shape and style

An experienced collector is usually able to pick out a style and identify a maker from across the room. Tiffany flatware, for example, had certain styles of bowls and tines that were adopted in most of their patterns. This made Tiffany flatware designs very distinctive, something that appealed to Tiffany collectors.

Shiebler designs in flatware and hollowware were at the forefront of design in the 1880's. The works of this maker are very sought after to this day because they are rare and unusual. The Shiebler designs certainly make an aesthete's mind come alive. One cannot look at great Shiebler and not use the imagination

Whiting had the strong influence of Tiffany's Charles Osborne who worked for both companies at different times. Wide use of nautical designs with sea creatures can be compared to Tiffany of the same period.

Elkington and Tiffany borrowed from each other. One should remember that the great Expositions of the late 19th century were a meeting place for designers from all countries. It would be tough to imagine a designer ignoring a successful design of a competitor just for the sake of being fair. Gorham and Barnard Brothers had almost the exact designs for their Japanese flatware of the 1870's.

http://www.silverperfect.com/

Investing in Antique Silver

2008-04-18T14:42:00.000-07:00

A rare Whiting American sterling silver pitcher with chased shells and applied crab

There are genuine collectors who want their silver to pass with them into the next world. These collectors purchase antique silver items because they like to look at it. It is passion that keeps them going.

I am asked about silver as an investment by a new collector, my advice is usually to buy for enjoyment first but also appreciate the fact that the items have an intrinsic value built into them. When one gets to a level where one can afford to set aside the money to buy silver without sacrificing other things, then one can look around for art investment. It is really the same as for any other investment. You need to be able to afford to do it comfortably.

UPDATE

I was listening to Warren Buffet talking about what he thought was a good investment and he mentioned that his rule of thumb was so clear cut - if, when you purchase something, you have an idea that the value of the item is higher than what you are about to pay, you can consider it a good investment. I think this applies to our business as well. While it might be considered a poor reflection on the dealer who may be selling an item below the true value, one should always remember that everyone has a different perception of the value and stature of a piece.

In most cases, when I have purchased a piece that was almost above my head in importance and price, it has paid off nicely because someone else has realised the potential of the piece and stepped up for it when I offered it for sale at a later date.

http://www.silverperfect.com/

Condition

2008-04-18T14:29:00.000-07:00

As a former stamp collector while growing up, I was always obsessed with the acquisition of the finest items in the finest condition. When the day came to sell, it was as if I was holding a fine piece of property. I walked into a dealer in London and he took a look at the first few examples of what I had. He handed me a pencil and paper and told me to write down and add up the catalog values. He paid me with a smile. The lesson is simply to buy the best and take the time to select examples in condition that will excite a potential buyer later when you might want to sell.

As an investor you need to study and put effort into your collecting to safeguard the value.

As a collector it will always please you to look at something in perfect sharp condition rather than look at something tired and worn.

http://www.silverperfect.com

Patina and Cleaning Antique Silver

2008-04-18T11:33:00.000-07:00

An example of good patination on a repousse tea caddy By S Kirk.

Patina is really a myriad of fine scratches overlapping to form a fine textured surface. This surface or finish is really most desirable on an old piece of silver because it gives the silver the soft color that collectors seek.
Never use petroleum based polishes on your good silver. They are usually harsh and scar the metal surface. Unless you have a lifetime to wait to restore patina through general use and exposure you should try not to have anything professionally cleaned. Exceptions to this would be if a good silversmith wants to restore your silver and they have to use these methods to put a finish on a piece after working on it.
A good brand of silver polish in the form of foam or cream would be the best for cleaning antique silver. It would remove the least silver and these polishes have a silicone or wax to form a seal of protection from the atmosphere. These work best with hot water. The silver should always be left out to air dry before storing.
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