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posted 01-06-2015 06:36 AM            

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Our silver was recently stolen (R & B's Spanish Baroque - We weren't too fond of the pattern, since it had too many curls and swirls; our taste has changed in the last 40 years). We want now to mix and match several art deco place settings. Anyone who can suggest several patterns which best represent that era, and for which it isn't too difficult to assemble a five or six-piece place setting? I've looked on ebay.

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posted 01-06-2015 12:03 PM            

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My favorite style! My favorite that I collect is Park Avenue by Manchester; definitely worth looking for, but not the most common on the big auction site. Another I collect is Stylist by Reed and Barton, but I do have some qualms recommending it as over 90% of the pieces in my collection are marked with the same marks as the silverplated version, with Sterling stamped incuse on the pieces separately. I have one lone salad fork with the standard sterling backstamp, so I know they exist that way.
Other possibilities:
Alvin Romantique, Chased Romantique if you do not mind flowers on your Art Deco;
Gorham Hunt Club, possibly Nocturne or Rose Marie;
International: Orchid, Empress, Elsinore, Continental, Trousseau
Lunt: Modern Classic, Regency
National: Overture
Dominick & Haff: Contempora
Reed & Barton: Jubilee
Tiffany: Hampton, Century
Towle: Lady Diana, Symphony, Aristocrat; Candlelight and Chased Diana if you don't mind flowers

I also like Oneida's Heiress and Virginian patterns, but Heiress is about 10 years after the Art Deco era, and Virginian is really an Art Deco floral, but they are both readily and cheaply available!

[This message has been edited by taloncrest (edited 01-06-2015).]

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posted 01-06-2015 12:41 PM            

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Thanks. I know some of these patterns but not all. I'll check them out.

One of my favorites is Lunt's "Adam," which is hard to find--especially knives. Do you ever see it? I also like Gorham's Lansdowne and St. Dunstan (piain and engraved). Tiffany's San Lorenzo, and Wallace's Dauphine. all of which resemble one another.
Lunt's Mary II and R & B's Dorothy Quincy are others with a different look.

WWI seems to have coincided with a rather major leap in preferences for flatware design. Wonder if that has ever been explored in depth?

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posted 01-06-2015 02:26 PM            

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I've only owned a teaspoon in Adam, but I do really like the pattern. I have a small set in International's Wedgwood, which is very similar. The others you mention brings to mind three International patterns, Pantheon, Trianon and Theseum. Pantheon is still being made under the Tuttle trademark. I've always thought they were beautiful, and I believe they are all rather plentiful. Sometimes they are listed incorrectly by the seller, as the IS trademark used at that time was in script, and it is thought to be J.S. so if you like them and search for them, you might check that out as well.

I think of these patterns as more Neoclassical than Art Deco, although going by old movies, the styles were often used together.

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posted 01-06-2015 06:36 PM            

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What are the generally recognized eras into which American sterling flatware patterns fall? I know of the aesthetic, art nouveau, art deco, and modern, but in reality you can find all or most of these patterns in every era. It's just that certain types of patterns appear to predominate in certain eras. Then there are those patterns which have features of each era. Towle's Georgian, e. g. fits chronologically and in some ways artistically into art nouveau, but it also has elements that tie it strongly to the neoclassical and to art deco.

Not to say that this is terribly profound, since it's true of most works of art

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posted 01-08-2015 06:25 AM            

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Guess I should say a few things about myself

I am recently retired after a career of nearly forty years teaching history at a college in central Florida. As to my interest in silver: As a small child, I watched my mother and aunt polish it each holiday season, and I was always fascinated to see the tarnish disappear and the metal shining underneath. I've always loved silver better than gold, and personally value it more.

As a graduate student, I worked for some time in the silver department of a large
jewelry store and became familiar with most of the flatware and hollowware patterns of the majors companies. I also worked in a silver clinic for several summers, and I learned how to advise which of the pieces brought in were worth repairing or replating and which were not. Now that I have retired and am in the process of replacing our stolen flatware, my interest has been rekindled.. . I also have a couple of pieces which I can't identify and I hope to photograph and post them soon.

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posted 01-08-2015 09:15 AM            

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Welcome!

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posted 01-08-2015 05:00 PM            

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Trying to claasify flatware into design style can be a bit tricky because there is not all that much space on a handle to use while keeping it functional. Some of the patterns you mention would clearly fit into the "Art Deco" style, though, and in my opinion many would not. An example that I think most people would see as Art Deco is the International Orchid pattern. One that I think is not even close would be International Empress.

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posted 01-08-2015 07:30 PM            

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Thanks. I agree--the handle of a fork is a rather small canvas when it comes to really capturing a style.

What in your opinion would be some good patterns to mix and match from the neoclassical or art deco eras? By "good" I mean which would complement each other and also help to stimulate dinner conversation? I am convinced that if sterling flatware has a future with the general public in this age of diversity, this is the path it must take.

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posted 01-08-2015 07:39 PM            

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Very interesting topic.

Kimo, International Empress seems to me very representative of the strain of art deco that gave us, say, the Chrysler Building and the Chanin Building.

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posted 01-09-2015 12:34 PM            

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Hi Polly. I agree that International Silver Empress would fit into the Art Deco style, though perhaps not quite as cleanly as their Orchid pattern. I was only giving two examples: one where the pattern was clearly Art Deco and one that was clearly not.

Hi Francis.

Half of the fun of a mixed pattern setting is chosing each piece and finding them as you come across them at shows, dealer's ships, and on the internet auction websites. I feel that there is not a set answer to what goes with what, but rather what tickles your fancy and would be a be a nice example of something that would be a beautiful spoon or fork or knife in its own right. It is like a set a mixed pattern tea cups - each one you find that is beautiful will go with every other one that is beautiful whether or not they are in the same general design style. In my opinion the best kind of a mixed pattern place setting would be to have every piece be of a different pattern and each one something you personally picked out as being beautiful to your own eyes.

[This message has been edited by Kimo (edited 01-10-2015).]

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posted 01-09-2015 02:16 PM            

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Thanks!

I think mixing place settings is a great idea, though I'm not sure I would want to mix pieces within a place setting.

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posted 01-10-2015 12:58 PM            

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One more question for you etiquette experts: Is a luncheon-size setting OK to use at dinner, or should one have a dinner-size setting? When looking at different patterns, luncheon settings seem easier to find and they are certainly more reasonably priced. Also--should all settings at a table be the same size (luncheon or dinner)? Would it perhaps depend on the size of the dinner plate?

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posted 01-10-2015 08:39 PM            

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Where do you live? If you are in Europe then the dinner size would be more common at dinner time, but if you are in America then most people go for the luncheon size for every meal. Those very large dinner size spoons and forks are not what most Americans are used to and some less experienced people think you have mistakenly given them serving pieces These days, there are no real hard and fast rules, except of course where you place which fork, spoon and knife and which glass and which plate which is still quite set in most people's minds. If you want to be super formal you could even buy your flatware with your monogram on the back side of the handle and set the pieces face down which is the old school way of doing it. It is your house and your table, and most people do not really know all of the rules so you can have your fun and do it however you like, unless you have someone who actually knows the difference like me. By the way, what are you serving us for dinner tonight

[This message has been edited by Kimo (edited 01-12-2015).]

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posted 01-10-2015 09:00 PM            

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Thanks. . .and I live in Florida!

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posted 01-11-2015 11:42 AM            

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My Mom has 12 place settings of probably the most popular 'Art Deco' pattern, Towle's 1934 Candlelight, simple but with intricate detailing, it coordinates well with various china patterns. Her service is actually half luncheon and half dinner size place settings - the teaspoons, soup spoons and salad forks are the same size, the only difference is in the length of the knives and forks (1" and 1/2", respectively), they look just fine when used together. If you're concerned that the different patterns match in size, might suggest just checking the measurements - depending on manufacturer, and even in their different patterns and at different times, various sizes might be described as dinner, place, luncheon, dessert, or in the era you're looking at, might even find the oddly proportioned viande/grille forks and knives (the larger Continental size in American silver is a fairly recent development).

Have wanted to do mixed place settings of Scandinavian-inspired patterns for years, but just haven't really pursued it (have a service of International's 1942 Spring Glory that I love). A friend has various early 20th century floral patterns and did the same with her china, also all florals in shades of pink - makes for a very pretty table, though a bit 'girly'...

~Cheryl (fellow Central Floridian)

[This message has been edited by dragonflywink (edited 01-11-2015).]

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posted 01-11-2015 02:08 PM            

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Thanks. We like International's "Wedgwood" and may settle on a small service in that, and then collect some other neoclassical mix-and-match patterns on the side. "Wedgwood" goes great with a couple of Lenox china patterns--"The Colonial" and "Buchanan." Each has been obsolete for years but you can find them on e-bay. We're not that big on floral patterns, but if we did go that route it would probably be one of the heavily floral art nouveau patterns rather than more modern ones.

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posted 01-11-2015 04:09 PM            

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Wasn't really suggesting florals, just mentioning my friend's mixed settings - believe all hers are from the first few years of the 19th century, a heyday for fancy floral patterns, they all go together beautifully.

Wedgwood is lovely and a classic, always reminds me a bit of my Lenox pattern, Autumn - but it's such a busy design, have always liked it paired with my swirly Spring Glory. The majority of my serving pieces are Scandinavian, so they coordinate well with my silver pattern too...

Good luck in assembling your new set!

~Cheryl

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posted 01-16-2015 02:35 PM            

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My favorite Art Deco pattern is actually silverplate and not sterling: Rogers/International Friendship. There are a number of other silverplate patterns that make a strong Art Deco statement.

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posted 04-04-2015 01:47 PM            

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Finally finished my mix-and-match flatware project. I now have six four-piece place settings of art nouveau and six of art deco patterns. You can see the changes occurring in design by WWI by following the order in which the knives are arranged inside the lid my silver chest; I've lined them up in the order they were first introduced.

Art deco (early period): Shreve's "Adam," Gorham's "Etruscan" and "Lansdowne;" Wallace's "Dauphine;" Tiffany's "San Lorenzo;" and Lunt's "Mary II"

Art nouveau: Alvin's "Old Orange Blossom" and "Bridal Rose;" Dominick and Haff's "Labors of Cupid;" Wallace's "Irian;" R & B's "Les Six Fleurs." Also have Towle's "Georgian" which is not technically art nouveau though it fits chronologically and goes well with the others. Of course, I would like to have R & B's "Love Disarmed" but it is a little pricey. Maybe one day....

Next decision: Should I add pieces to each setting, and if so which ones?

Hope my granddaughter will appreciate my efforts one day!

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posted 04-04-2015 02:44 PM            

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I'm not sure which pieces are available in the Deco patterns, but the sky's the limit in filling out the Art Nouveau patterns. Soup spoons (Gumbo or Oval are my personal choices but boullions are also available); fish forks are harder to find but the matching knives are almost impossible in the floral patterns; cocktail forks; demitasse spoons; butter spreaders. If you want to go for the obscure pieces, I can go on for awhile, LOL.

In my opinion, the most logical additions would depend on which foods you tend to serve.

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posted 04-06-2015 11:14 AM            

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Thanks. Will probably opt for oval soup (place) spoons, cocktail forks and individual butter knives if I decide to expand.

This is addictive. Now that I have finished my project, I see other patterns that appeal to me. This can get expensive!

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posted 04-06-2015 07:58 PM            

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And will those spreaders be flat all silver or hollow handled or some of each?

"One more pattern" is how the addiction starts - & before you know it, you have mixed place settings for 30+!

And then there are the serving pieces..............

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posted 04-27-2015 05:15 AM            

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I'm a bit late to this discussion, but since the bug is still biting...

My favorite art deco-ish pattern is Homewood by Stieff. It has a lot in common with several streamlined, modernist designs of the 1930s, but was marketed as "colonial" (and named for a colonial-era house).

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posted 04-27-2015 06:33 PM            

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Homework is a pretty pattern and it looks like a natural extension of the Onslow pattern.

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posted 05-01-2015 11:34 AM            

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Does anyone know in which of the aesthetic movement (1870-1890) patterns it's easy to find a 4-piece place setting at a reasonable (less than $500)? I need about six of them for my mix=and-match themed collection.

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