posted 11-19-2012 10:40 AM            

I purchased this piece from an estate without knowing much about its origins. I was drawn to it due to the absolutely gorgeous handle it has and had to have it. In doing some research, the only similar pieces I have been able to find are crafted for Tiffany by Edward C Moore and include an Ewer presented to president Lincoln and one or two tea sets found in the Yale museum and Metropolitan museum of fine arts. The pieces I have located all have a spartan helmet on the top, this one features of a cherub. I believe I may have found something truly special here (one of a kind?) and would appreciate any comments regarding history and potential importance to the history of early American silver. I am uploading a few photos to share.

This is the finest piece of silver I have ever had the opportunity to own and hope you appreciate it as much as I.

The piece does have an engraving of a date that also makes me question if there may be a historical connection to some legislation/politics. I am currently researching it and will keep you all posted.

posted 11-19-2012 11:05 AM            

In my freetime I enjoy fishing, hiking, biking, fossil hunting, gold mining, amongst other things. American History and the unique personal connections found inspire me and I enjoy actively finding and researching nearly all aspects of this nature, from presidental memrobilia to colonial weapons to led zeppelin concert posters.

Thanks and I look forward to being a part of the forum.

-Nick

posted 11-19-2012 03:47 PM            

Is there a cartouche, mono or has there been mono removal?

It appears to be a tea pot. If so, then I suspect it was most likely apart of a set.

posted 11-19-2012 04:30 PM            

Again, I'll try to get some better photos as soon as possible.

posted 11-19-2012 06:15 PM            

I'll be adding information as it becomes available, thanks again for your input.

Oh and can you please specify your interpertations of "rare" or "unusual" when dealing with pieces such as this? As a pocket watch collector, a peice with 300 or less made enters the realm of rare. Is it safe to assume there were only a handful of this style of set made or could those numbers reach into the tens or hundreds? At what point does something become rare in your eyes? To me this piece is absolutely amazing and of supreme quality to anything I have dealt with, but I understand how that can change in the eye of the beholder and from to collector to collector.

posted 11-19-2012 07:19 PM            

You may find this thread of interest, as it raises some of the same issues you raise:Gorham Presidential Silver Coffee and Tea

If you scroll down a ways in that thread, you'll see a post by Ulysses Dietz, a forum member who is a museum curator, posting photos of a Gorham tea and coffee service in his museum. He writes,

"And here is part of a set by Gorham, dated by its mark to 1863-65 (pretty precise). Right in the middle of the Civil War, when, bizarrely, silver consumption in the US (the North anyway) TRIPLED. ... I have never seen this form elsewhere, and therefore it is "rare." Pretty spiffy, too, even to the point of over the top. Definitely nouveau riche Civil War money, to this curator's eye. This cannot have been the only one of these made (the L monogram was added in the 1940s by the self-made immigrant couple in NJ who bought it at an estate sale--another great story). Yet no one in the curatorial field I know has ever seen this model. This merely means that people in the years from 1900-1950 destroyed most of the extant versions. Some day that fact might make this "rare" coffee and tea set valuable. But for now, it is still among the most accessible (i.e. affordable) kinds of silver."

I suggest you enjoy your beautiful teapot without worrying too much about how rare or valuable it is. And post more, better photos so we can enjoy it too!

posted 11-19-2012 08:01 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by wev:
It bears saying that the ewer went unsold after questions were raised as to its murky history and lack of documentation.

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I was not aware of this. Auction records show it sold for well under the auction estimate but still for a great deal of money, but when looking at [the auction] website directly the sale price is unlisted. Thanks for that bit of information.

posted 11-19-2012 08:08 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Polly:
Nick,

You may find this thread of interest, as it raises some of the same issues you raise:Gorham Presidential Silver Coffee and Tea

If you scroll down a ways in that thread, you'll see a post by Ulysses Dietz, a forum member who is a museum curator, posting photos of a Gorham tea and coffee service in his museum. He writes, "And here is part of a set by Gorham, dated by its mark to 1863-65 (pretty precise). Right in the middle of the Civil War, when, bizarrely, silver consumption in the US (the North anyway) TRIPLED. ... I have never seen this form elsewhere, and therefore it is "rare." Pretty spiffy, too, even to the point of over the top. Definitely nouveau riche Civil War money, to this curator's eye. This cannot have been the only one of these made (the L monogram was added in the 1940s by the self-made immigrant couple in NJ who bought it at an estate sale--another great story). Yet no one in the curatorial field I know has ever seen this model. This merely means that people in the years from 1900-1950 destroyed most of the extant versions. Some day that fact might make this "rare" coffee and tea set valuable. But for now, it is still among the most accessible (i.e. affordable) kinds of silver."

A few years after Ulysses posted that, I found (and bought) an almost identical tea set (see this thread: Whose feet are these? ). So: is it "rare"? Sort of, probably. But that doesn't make it particularly valuable, especially nowadays when people hate polishing silver and consume endless articles and TV shows that preach about the virtues of ridding your life of clutter.

I suggest you enjoy your beautiful teapot without worrying too much about how rare or valuable it is. And post more, better photos so we can enjoy it too!

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posted 11-20-2012 07:52 AM            

Welcome to the Forum.

Consider this, many things considered to be rare or hard to find have become a lot less so given the world wide web. Even when you look at older price guides things that were listed with high prices have in many cases dropped considerably. I recall years ago various silver flatware patterns were deemed dead in the water only to rise again as time went by & the reverse being true also. The Antiques Roadshow has also produced shows with the prices given at the time, & then they show on screen what the prices are today.
Lastly, maybe there can be items that are only one of a kind but if no one wants them.......
My motto is, if you love it & can afford it then do so, not because it's rare...
As an aside if you check out various auction listings rare appears a trillion times (LOL). Important is another word that escapes me in high end auction house listings. Important to who, what or where.
With all that said, just enjoy your treasures. Like the Loch ness monster, the elusiveness is what keep us all
continuing the hunt.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

posted 11-20-2012 05:44 PM            

That said, I agree with Jersey that whenever a seller uses terms like 'rare', 'important', 'unique', 'museum worthy', etc. that I immediately think that they are artificially trying to pump up the price to potential buyers who may not be fully aware of what the object is and what it is not. This is especially true for objects for which there is no provenance of any kind.

From the blurry photos it appears you have an attractive example of the 'over the top' designed, second to third quarter of the 19th century, holloware. I agree it would likely have been part of a larger tea set as just a pot by itself would not be a major gift. It is not chopped liver, but just one pot is not a major gift. Remember that silver bullion was expensive but not extravagant in the day. Also silversmithing work was not at the cost that similar quality smithing would be today. And at the very least there are more than one example of objects in this pattern so it would not be a one-off item from a smith.

As you say, the dates could mean pretty much anything, but they do indicate this was to commemorate something meaningful to the recipient and giver.

posted 09-18-2014 06:09 PM            

It is a mixture of revival styles, which was typical in mid-nineteenth century design. The lotus flowers on the neck are Egyptian revival motifs, while the anthemia on the body and Greek key applied bands speak to the Neo-Grec style, a Greek Revival. The cast handle with a Neoclassical female head contrasts with the Eastern-inspired seated boy playing a horn on top of the hinged lid.

As a claret jug, for serving wine, I found it a bit odd to have the ivory insulators on the handle, since even warmed and spiced wine is not served as piping hot as tea or coffee would have been. Perhaps this was made for a client in keeping with other pieces offered as a matching set.

This claret jug is currently on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, in the special exhibition, Silver: An American Art, on view through February 2015 if you happen to visit Texas.