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tline3open  Whiting figural pickle dish

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Author Topic:   Whiting figural pickle dish
Polly

Posts: 1970
Registered: Nov 2004

iconnumber posted 10-04-2017 03:47 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Polly     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Hello, fans of 19th c figural silver. Ever seen a Whiting figural pickle dish? I hadn't, till I found this one. I've seen one by Wood & Hughes (if anyone out there has one, please post!), but never Whiting.

I imagine this is from the 1870s--can anyone date it from the model number? It's 9 1/2" long and 3" wide. It arrived black with tarnish, and it could still use more polishing, but my hands got tired after an hour or so.

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Polly

Posts: 1970
Registered: Nov 2004

iconnumber posted 10-04-2017 03:49 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Polly     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote

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Polly

Posts: 1970
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iconnumber posted 10-04-2017 03:54 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Polly     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote

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June Martin
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Posts: 1326
Registered: Apr 93

iconnumber posted 10-04-2017 10:54 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for June Martin     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Polly, it's gorgeous!

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Polly

Posts: 1970
Registered: Nov 2004

iconnumber posted 10-05-2017 10:04 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Polly     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thank you, June!

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asheland

Posts: 935
Registered: Nov 2003

iconnumber posted 10-05-2017 10:45 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for asheland     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Super cool!

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agleopar

Posts: 850
Registered: Jun 2004

iconnumber posted 10-05-2017 07:55 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for agleopar     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
What a find! What a classic, not a Vlasic!

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Polly

Posts: 1970
Registered: Nov 2004

iconnumber posted 10-06-2017 01:58 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Polly     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thank you! Here's the front end:

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ahwt

Posts: 2334
Registered: Mar 2003

iconnumber posted 10-08-2017 12:46 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for ahwt     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I did not realize that there were pickle dishes and this is a great one. Thanks for posting it.

[This message has been edited by ahwt (edited 10-08-2017).]

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Polly

Posts: 1970
Registered: Nov 2004

iconnumber posted 10-08-2017 10:58 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Polly     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
A Wood & Hughes pickle dish, which is similar and has a cute little pickle attached.


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Scott Martin
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Posts: 11520
Registered: Apr 93

iconnumber posted 10-08-2017 11:56 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Scott Martin     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
smile

I wonder if there is/was a stylized companion tong or fork serving piece?

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Polly

Posts: 1970
Registered: Nov 2004

iconnumber posted 10-08-2017 12:09 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Polly     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Just to clarify, I do not own the W&H dish, only the Whiting one.

I've never seen a matching fork or tongs for either the Whiting or the W&H pickle dish, but the Gorham olive tongs harmonizes well:

The Gorham olive tongs--and related serving pieces, such as an olive spear/spoon, a fork, etc--match an olive-shaped figural bowl that Gorham made. I don't like that bowl, but it seems to have been pretty popular (I've seen a lot of examples)--I wonder if these pickle dishes are Whiting's and W&H's response to that bowl.

Today I'm going to the pickle man to get some goodies to put in my pickle bowl.

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Scott Martin
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Posts: 11520
Registered: Apr 93

iconnumber posted 10-08-2017 12:11 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Scott Martin     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I also wonder how well the gold vermeil would hold up to the very strong brine (vinegar & pickling salt) of today's dill pickles? Especially if it was a long period of time that the pickles were in the silver vermeil.

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Scott Martin
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Posts: 11520
Registered: Apr 93

iconnumber posted 10-08-2017 12:15 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Scott Martin     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Those tongs look good!

A trip to the lower east side or is there a pickle man closer to home?

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Polly

Posts: 1970
Registered: Nov 2004

iconnumber posted 10-08-2017 01:13 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Polly     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
There's a Sunday flea market at an Upper West Side school, where there are antique dealers (including one of our members, who will get to see this dish in person if he's there today) and food vendors. One of the regular food vendors is a pickle man--I think his regular store is on the LES. And there's a guy from Paris who sells the most delicious ice cream--I look forward all week to his olive oil ice cream, though he doesn't always bring it. Yes, I don't plan to leave the pickles sitting in the dish for any length of time--there's practically no gilding left in this dish already.

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June Martin
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Posts: 1326
Registered: Apr 93

iconnumber posted 10-08-2017 08:17 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for June Martin     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Oh, Polly, now you've got my ice cream gene aroused.

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Polly

Posts: 1970
Registered: Nov 2004

iconnumber posted 10-08-2017 08:50 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Polly     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Sadly, the ice cream guy didn't have any olive oil ice cream--I had to settle for pumpkin spice. Pity me! Also, Richard and Susan weren't there. But I did get a pint of half-sours and a pint of horseradish pickles. Haven't tried them in the pickle dish yet. It really wants little gherkins, not big pickles, but I think they'll work fine if I slice them.

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asheland

Posts: 935
Registered: Nov 2003

iconnumber posted 10-09-2017 12:14 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for asheland     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
That is a cool dish! smile
Polly, I don't know if you collect auction catalogues or books on the subject, but if so, you should seek the catalogue for the Sam Wagstaff sale (Christie's 1989)

It's full of American Silver from this period.

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Polly

Posts: 1970
Registered: Nov 2004

iconnumber posted 10-09-2017 09:39 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Polly     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks, asheland! I will keep an eye out for that catalogue--not seeing any affordable copies in Internetland at the moment, but there's always tomorrow.

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asheland

Posts: 935
Registered: Nov 2003

iconnumber posted 10-10-2017 10:45 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for asheland     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I've seen that it can be priced VERY high, but be patient...

I got my copy AND the Carpender sale catalogue (Gorham and Tiffany book author) together for a fraction of what the Wagstaff catalogue alone typically sells for. One will eventually show up. smile

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Polly

Posts: 1970
Registered: Nov 2004

iconnumber posted 04-17-2019 01:59 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Polly     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Popping in to say I just got the Wood & Hughes version of the figural pickle dish. I'll post a photo of the two of them together--W&H and Whiting--after I polish it.

Meanwhile, I see the Cooper-Hewitt Museum has an example of the W&H pickle dish--with matching pickle spear!

[This message has been edited by Scott Martin (edited 04-17-2019).]

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June Martin
Forum Master

Posts: 1326
Registered: Apr 93

iconnumber posted 04-17-2019 04:16 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for June Martin     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Now you have something else to search for, Polly!

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Polly

Posts: 1970
Registered: Nov 2004

iconnumber posted 04-17-2019 05:58 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Polly     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Lol, June!!

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Polly

Posts: 1970
Registered: Nov 2004

iconnumber posted 04-19-2019 12:12 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Polly     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Here are my two 1870s-80s figural pickle dishes together:

I prefer the Whiting one, which I think is a whimsical masterpiece, but the Wood & Hughes one has a delightful little pickle by the handle.

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H Bradshaw

Posts: 30
Registered: Mar 2015

iconnumber posted 04-19-2019 11:07 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for H Bradshaw     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Breathtaking!!! Now I want a pickle dish - but I'd happily settle for a pickle spear!

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Polly

Posts: 1970
Registered: Nov 2004

iconnumber posted 04-20-2019 12:31 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Polly     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I think the spear is far rarer--I've often seen the W&H dish, but the only time I've ever seen the W&H spear is in the Cooper-Hewitt photo.

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asheland

Posts: 935
Registered: Nov 2003

iconnumber posted 04-22-2019 10:41 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for asheland     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Those are awesome! Great find!

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