Turn-of-the-century American Art Nouveau green plasss perfume bottle with engraved silver overlay. Globular with short neck and everted rim in collar. Ball stopper. Overlay in dense and dynamic flower head pattern with interlaced and overlapping petals and pointille florets. Marked “Sterling Silver Deposit 46”. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 6 1/2 x D 4 in. #BT172

Set of 4 Edwardian sterling silver figural place card holders. Made by Levi & Salaman in Birmingham 1906. Each: Pair of perched owls with scrolled back clip; raised and round base. Wise birds standing ready to tamp down excessive dinner party levity. In leather-bound case with fitted velvet and silk lining with gilt retailer’s stamp (“Leighton / Lancaster”). Fully marked. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 1 3/4 x D 1 1/2 in. Gross weight: 2.3 troy ounces. #BW863

Large turn-of-the-century American Art Nouveau green glass perfume bottle with engraved silver overlay. Globular with short neck and everted rim in collar. Ball stopper. Overlay in dense and dynamic flower head pattern with interlaced and overlapping petals and pointille florets. Marked “Sterling Silver Deposit 67”. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 7 3/4 x D 5 in. #BT173

Fin-de-siecle Classical sterling silver loving cup. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York. Urn-form with bellied bottom. Three leaf-capped and mounted scroll handles. In relief are men and women, nude with legs merging into leafing scrolls, their embraces abetted by cherubic cup bearers. Subdued eroticism on stippled ground with fruiting grapevines. Reeded foot with stylized egg-and-dart rim and three leaf-and-scroll mounted paw supports. Gilt-washed interior.

At top engraved presentation: “Samu...

Delightful Victorian sterling silver rattle. Made by WH Collins & Co. in Birmingham in 1897. Kitty stands stiffly in snug fitting jacket and trousers. Only the tail is free to flick back and forth. A funny depiction of feline ill grace. A bit of a sour puss, but endearing nonetheless. Mother of pearl handle. Fully marked. Good condition.

Overall dimensions: H 4 3/8 x W 1 1/2 x D 7/8 in. #BV513

Danish Biedermeier Gothic Troubadour silver hunting horn on stand, 1855.

Horn has two applied bands with leafing scrollwork and cast green man applied to front. At top a third band with mandolin-strumming maidens and coat of arms-bearing pages in cloister colonnade. Cover domed with leaf-mounted cast figural finial in form of winged Classical man in drapery and helmet pouring wine into a cup. Tail cap has acanthus leaf border with cast owl finial. Gilt-washed interior.

Shaped stand with stra...

Victorian sterling silver baby cup. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York. Straight sides and banded scroll-bracket handle. Low-relief base ornament with stylized flower heads and beading. Acid-etched depiction of Goosey Gander, an English nursery rhyme that has been subject to various religious and moral interpretations. Shown here a sassy New Woman brandishing a crook and a nattily dressed and bespectacled goose. Gilt-washed interior. Fully marked including maker’s stamp, pattern no. 4254, and d...

Set of 5 Edwardian sterling silver and enamel place card holders. Made by Sampson Mordan in Chester, 1904-8. Each: Two graduated discs of which the front decorated with grouse standing stiffly, alert to danger; landscape background varies. Flat round base. Perfect for the hunt dinner. Fully marked including date letters for 1904 (2), 1906 (1), 1907 (1), and 1908 (1). Three have design no. 402227 (registered in 1902) and two have design no. 429790 (registered in 1904). Very good condition.

Dim...

English Egyptian-Revival 18K gold brooch with scarab, ca 1870. Winged sun with fluted and stepped form. Entwined and scaly serpent forms round and open center, inset with rotating double-sided carnelian scarab: On front is a carved beetle; on back the Roman God Mercury. Fine condition with beautifully toned patina.

Overall dimensions: H 7/8 x W 2 5/8 x D 3/8 in. Gross weight: 9.5 dwt. #1180

If you are familiar with the work of Hiramatsu Ryoma you know that he creates very unconventional ceramics inspired by forms found in nature. Here we have a sake set he describes as “Ou-tekko” (pyrite) and “Ammonite” (same in English - a kind of sea fossil). Part of a series he has been developing, the ancient Ammonite fossil has been the inspiration behind his latest creations. Pyrite, meanwhile refers to the metallic patterning on the outer surface of the clay body. Truly unique pieces...

Turn-of-the-century cut-glass perfume bottle with sterling silver stopper. Globular with short and faceted neck and shoulder, and everted rim. Star, fern, and diaper ornament. Globular stopper with dense repousse-style flowers and ferns on stippled ground. Marked “Sterling” with stamp for James R. Armiger Co., a Baltimore maker that began working under that name in 1896. Very good condition with deep patina.

Dimensions: H 6 7/8 x D 3 5/8 in. #BM943 & BM944

Classical sterling silver compote. Made by John Wendt for Ball, Black in New York, ca 1870. Round and curved bowl mounted to open support comprising three leafing oak shoots with acorns inset with cast figure of standing boy holding a ball in each hand with one arm raised. Domed foot. Reeding and beading.

A fashionable centerpiece evocative of youth and growth. The figure suggests the influence of the Dancing Faun, the ancient statue in the Uffizi in Florence that was a grand tour icon. The fr...

In excellent condition, this bird-shaped, or “torigata” vase is a beautiful example of Iga pottery from last century. A master of form, material, and technique, the potter Furutani Michio (1946-2000) wrote several books later translated to English on the construction and use of the “anagama”—an earth-dug, wood-fired, small-batch kiln traditionally used in Japan—celebrated for the extraordinary results that often emerge from its fires. Winner of a number of awards during his lifetime ...

With a masterfully applied black Raku glaze and a noticeable aesthetic of austerity and stillness, this piece is what is refereed to in Japanese as an “utsushi” or what we might call in English a “tribute piece.” Such pieces are typically made by all Raku potters, regardless of the kiln and tradition, and seek to emulate famous works from the early masters over 400 years ago—in this case, a tea bowl created by the brother of the second Kichizaemon, Tanaka Somi, born sometim...

Victorian sterling silver baby cup. Made by Robert Harper in London in 1871. Baluster bowl on raised foot; wrapped and bracketed double-scroll handle with graduated beading. Chased and engraved scene from Robinson Crusoe: In the foreground stands the hero in the baggy garb of a marooned islander. He holds a long gun with more survival tools—including a hatchet—slipped under his belt. He points to a group of people in the distance. The beneficiary of his observation is Friday, the captive ind...

Several years ago we were invited by our very talented kintsugi craftsman to what is known as a “kura-ake” or storehouse opening. Many reading this may be familiar with the traditional storehouses in Japan (kura) with their thick plaster walls used to store valuable items—sometimes for hundreds of years—safe from humid air, insects, and the like. On occession, after the passing of a parent or relative, these storehouses are opened up and the art pieces and valuables inside ar...

Pair of German silver Renaissance hunting figures, ca 1890. The man wears doublet over baggy chemise and hose with belt hanging loosely around hips. A long hat feather drapes gracefully along his arm. The horn is raised expectantly while the other hand rests on his sword. The woman wears a bodice-revealing fitted hip-length coat over a pleated skirt. Her braids are coiled in the back and her hat sports a jaunty feather. On a raised arm perches a falcon. The figures stand on rocky mounds with sca...

Danish Modern sterling silver box. Made by Georg Jensen in Copenhagen. Rectangular with straight sides. Cover hinged and raised with flat border. Square corner supports. Fully marked including maker’s (1945-77) and designer’s (Harald Nielsen) stamps, and no. 827. Very good condition.

Overall dimensions: H 7/8 x W 8 1/8 x D 3 1/2 in. Heavy weight: 17.5 troy ounces. #BZ773