Midcentury Modern sterling silver toothpick holder. Made by Alphonse La Paglia (d. 1953) in New Jersey. Drum-form with double-banded mouth rim. Spread base applied with cast band comprising alternating leafing scrolls and flowerheads. Fully marked including maker’s stamp and no. 160. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 2 x D 2 in. Weight: 4 troy ounces. #BY920

Midcentury Modern sterling silver centerpiece bowl. Made by Alphonse La Paglia (d. 1953) in New Jersey. Deep and tapering with flared rim. Raised foot with short support in the bead and ring arrangement that proved influential with other American silversmiths. Fully marked including maker’s stamp and no. 116. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 5 1/4 x D 10 1/8 in. Heavy weight: 33.3 troy ounces. #BZ270

Midcentury Modern sterling silver water pitcher. Made by Alphonse La Paglia (d. 1953) in New Jersey. Baluster with asymmetrical oval mouth; stepped and round foot ring with flat beading. High-looping handle wrapped with abstract leaves; scroll terminal inset with Jensen-inspired seed-spilling pod on wire stem. The influence of the master applied to a traditional form. Marked “La Paglia Sterling 208”. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 9 x W 7 1/4 x D 6 in. Heavy weight: 39 troy ounces. #BY...

English Georgian sterling silver salver, 1726. Square with lobed corners and same corner supports. Beautiful early Georgian. Fully marked including London assay stamp; maker’s mark worn. Good condition with nice period wear.

Dimensions: H 1 x W 5 3/4 x D 5 3/4 in. Weight: 6.4 troy ounces. #BT656

Alexandria sterling silver bread and butter plates. Made by Fisher Silversmiths in Jersey City, New Jersey. Each: Round well and concave shoulder interspersed with 4 open leafing tendrils mounted to cutout triangles. Fully marked including maker’s stamp, pattern name, and no. 2646. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 1/4 x D 6 5/8 in. Total weight: 47 troy ounces. #BY647

Beaded sterling silver dinner and lunch set. Made by Georg Jensen in Copenhagen. This set comprises 157 pieces (dimensions in inches):

Forks: 12 Dinner forks (7 1/4), 12 luncheon forks (6 7/8), 24 salad forks (6 3/4), 12 pastry forks (5 5/8), 2 seafood forks (6 1/8), and 1 youth fork (5 5/8);

Spoons: 12 teaspoons (5 7/8), 12 teaspoons (5 1/2), 8 fruit spoons (5 7/8), 4 gumbo spoons (6 5/8), 2 ice cream spoons (5 5/8), 2 demitasse spoons (4 1/2), and 3 salt spoons (2 5/8);

Knives: 12 short-...

Pair of turn-of-the-century German 800 silver bobble-head boxes. A two-man percussion band comprising baby-faced drummer and wizened cymbalist. Rotund bodies squeezed into olden-days doublet and hose with neck-ruff covers. Feather-capped heads bob, bob, bob along to the music. Perfect timing not guaranteed. Marked. Excellent condition.

Approximate dimensions: H 7 1/2 x W 3 1/4 x D 4 1/4 in. Total weight: 25.5 troy ounces. #BV204

Large French Etruscan 950 silver coffeepot, ca 1820. Ovoid body with spool neck, side-hinged cover, and raised and round foot. Upright S-spout with ram’s head mouth, and low relief leaves and gadroons. Leaf-and-dart borders. Cover has bud finial on scroll and flower mount. High-looping stained-wood handle with silver mounts: a ram’s head at top, a garlanded face at bottom. Robust Classicism. Fully marked including maker’s initials AL. Fine condition.

Overall dimensions: H 14 1/2 x W 10 ...

This lovely Shino tea bowl fashioned from coarse Mino clay is covered in feldspar glazing, has a classic ferrous abstract painting across the front, and shows nice age—most likely from early to middle Edo.

Shino-ware dates to the Momoyama period when potters were attempting to recreate white porcelain-wares that were being imported from China at the time. Originally they were made in a single-chamber anagama style kilns set into the hillsides. Later, with the advent of large-batc...

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...

Born the second son of Ryônyû, the 10th Raku Kichizaemon Tannyû took over the family kiln in 1811 at the age of 16 and served until his retirement and subsequent handing on of the title of Kichizaemon to his son-in-law Keinyû some 34 years later. Retaining many of the unique stylistic innovations of his father including his clay trimming technique, Tannyû went on to establish several new family kilns and to produce wares for both 10th and 11th Tokugawa Lords. The piece seen here is a classi...

Set of 4 Victorian sterling silver place card holders. Made by Saunders and Shepherd in Chester in 1899. Each: A rifle is propped against a shilling coin dated 1899, the year war broke out in South Africa between the British and Dutch colonial settlements. The rifle is the famous Lee-Metford, which was by then a tad old fashioned, but still considered reliable by British as well as Dutch troops, who made use of captured specimens. Open lunette base with vertical support. Fully marked including d...

Victorian Georgian Queen sterling silver soup ladle. Made by John and Henry Lias in London in 1839. King-shaped handle has engraved armorial with sword-bearing lion rampant and motto “Courage”. Deep ovoid bowl. A substantial and traditional piece made shortly after young Victoria ascended the throne. Stylistic continuity in the new reign. Fully marked. Very good condition.

Height: H 13 3/8 in. Heavy weight: 12 troy ounces. #BV250

Set of 7 Francis I sterling silver nut dishes. Made by Reed & Barton in Taunton, Mass. 1951-52. Quatrefoil well, lobed sides, and scrolled rim. Embossed fruits and leaves. Nice pieces in the classic pattern. Fully marked including maker’s stamp, pattern name, and no. X569. Three have 1951 date symbol and 4 have 1952 date symbol. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 7/8 x D 3 3/8 in. Total weight: 11 troy ounces. #BZ119

Set of 6 Midcentury Modern sterling silver seafood scallop shell plates. Made by Gorham in Providence. Each: Straight and tiered flutes, scalloped rim, and 2 ball supports. The hard-to-find size for the new era of small dinner parties. Fully marked including maker’s stamp and no. 42677. Four have date codes from 1940s and ’50s. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 1 1/4 x W 6 x D 6 in. Total weight: 31 troy ounces. #BY776

Francis I sterling silver bowl. Made by Reed & Barton in Taunton, Mass. in 1950. Quatrefoil well and wide flared mouth with wavy scrolled rim. Chased and embossed fruits. A nice piece in the classic French Renaissance pattern. Fully marked including maker’s stamp, pattern name, no. X569, and date symbol. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 3 x D 11 5/8 in. Weight: 20.4 troy ounces. #BX690

Plymouth sterling silver water pitcher. Made by Gorham in Providence in 1909. Tapering and paneled ovoid body, reeded helmet mouth, capped scroll bracket handle, and stepped oval foot. A fine piece in the classic pattern. Fully marked including maker's stamp, pattern name, no. A2788, date symbol, and volume (3 3/8 pints). Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 10 3/8 x W 9 3/4 x D 4 1/2 in. Weight: 24.7 troy ounces. #BY636

Turn-of-the-century German Rococo 800 silver box. Rectilinear with tapering sides and chamfered corners with scroll supports. Cover hinged, raised, and inset. Chased ornament with chubby, bare bottomed cherubs with adroitly arranged drapery surrounded by garlands and and Classical architecture. Gilt-washed interior. Marks include Hanau maker’s stamp (Storck & Sinsheimer). Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 3 7/8 x W 6 3/8 x D 4 1/2 in. Weight: 15.5 troy ounces. #BX028

Royal Danish sterling silver gravy boat on stand. Made by International in Meriden, Conn. Boat bellied with helmet mouth, banded scroll handle, and oval reeded foot. Stand ovalish with pierced acorn motif at ends. Desirable pieces in the classic pattern. Fully marked including maker’s stamp, pattern name, and no. G39. Very good condition.

Dimensions: Boat: H 4 x L 7 x W 3 5/8 in. Stand: H 1 1/4 x L 9 x W 5 1/4 in. Total weight: 17 troy ounces. #BW897

Rare sterling silver punch ladle. Made by Spratling in Taxco, Mexico. Round hand-hammered bowl with curved spout. Mount has tooled bands and applied rope band and is inset with tapering stained-wood handle. An early piece by this maker. 1940s marks. Very good condition with beautiful patina.

Dimensions: H 13 x W 3 3/4 x D 1/4 in. Gross weight: 5 troy ounces. #BR829

Pair of Lancaster sterling silver ice tongs. Made by Gorham in Providence, ca 1900. U-form with beaded stem and floral terminal. One jaw ovoid and scalloped with ornamental piercing; the other a cast claw with five talons. A nice early piece in this pattern, which was first produced in 1897. Fully marked including maker’s and retailer’s (Shreve & Co.) stamps. Condition: Nice definition. Taut and springy.

Height: 6 1/2 in. Weight: 1.8 troy ounces. #BY812

Austrian Biedermeier silver gilt casket, 1846. Bellied, lobed, and rectangular. Hinged cover same and concave with raised center and swing-mounted scroll bracket cast handle with flowers. Hardstone mounts including porphyry and lapis lazuli as well as cabochon jewels. On front two turquoise cabochon beads of which one a push button for opening cover. At ends carved intaglio heads, one a Classical soldier and the other a philosopher. Corner paw supports. On exterior the gilding is deeply toned; ...

Pair of Chinese export silver vases, ca 1910. Each: Flat and round moon body on domed foot; animal-head handles mounted to shoulder. On front and back is chased dragon—a horned and taloned serpentine serpent on hand-hammered ground. Marked Wang Hing & Co., an early 20th-century retailer active in Canton and Hong Kong. Very good condition. Handwork visible on foot underside.

Dimensions: H 4 1/2 x W 3 1/2 x D 2 in. Total weight: 7.5 troy ounces. #BY228

European silver flagon after the antique, late 19th century. Tapering bowl with curved front and back Tapering sides and curved front and back on spread and ribbed rectangular foot. Rectilinear neck with flat top. Round and domed cover with same ribbing and finial chained on both sides to ribbed rings loose-mounted to applied Classical satyr’s heads. Engraved Renaissance figures on front and armorial on back; leafing scrollwork and birds. Marked. Very good condition with deep patina.

Dimens...

German 800 silver wine trolly nef, ca 1920. A 3-mast galleon with billowing sales and complicated rigging. Gun ports open and cannons ready to fire. Lots of deck action, too with fighting swordsman and fallen sailors. Holds a special cargo because wood-style hull is a wine trolly. Figurehead spigot with threaded plug, and dolphin side mounts with rotating wheels for cruising across the table. Gives new meaning to the expression “getting sloshed”. Memorable dinner party guaranteed.

Hana...

George IV sterling silver bowl. Made by Elder & Co. in Edinburgh in 1831. Round with tapering sides and raised round foot. Scalloped frames with chased leaf and flower border on stippled ground, surmounted by open fruiting grapevine border; cast flower and leaf rim. Elegant Scottish Regency Classicism. Fully marked. Very good condition with nice patina.

Dimensions: H 3 x D 10 3/4 in. Weight: 18.6 troy ounces. #BX610

Pair of George III sterling silver covered vegetable dishes. Made by Paul Storr in London in 1805. Each: Tapering bowl with gadrooned rim. Cover domed with lobed shoulder; cast coronet finial mounted to round disc with beaded border.

Engraved coat of arms of Robert Hobart, 4th Earl of Buckinghamshire (1760–1816), an early Empire allrounder, whose peripatetic career included stints as the governor of Madras, postmaster general, and chief secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Because he...

George V sterling silver bowl. Made by Lionel Alfred Crichton in London in 1912. Curved with flared rim and stepped foot. Cast lion’s head side mounts in leafing-scrolled frames with loose-mounted rings. Four cast lion couchant supports with extended forepaws. Allover spot hammering. Engraved interlaced script monogram. A beautiful Edwardian Classical centerpiece. Fully marked. Excellent condition with nice shimmer.

Overall dimensions: H 9 1/4 x W 13 x D 11 3/4 in. Heavy weight: 85.4 troy o...

Fiddle Thread & Shell sterling silver dinner and lunch set. Made by James Robinson in London, 1980-2000. This set comprises 61 pieces (dimensions in inches):

Forks: 12 dinner forks (8 1/8) and 12 luncheon forks (7);

Spoons: 12 soup spoons (7 1/8), 12 teaspoons (5 3/4), and 1 tablespoon (8 1/8);

Knives: 12 dinner knives.

Dinner knife blades stainless steel.

Traditional Georgian spanning the early Thatcher era to Tony Blair’s Cool Britannia.

All pieces fully marked including maker...

English Georgian Regency sterling silver bowl. Made by Rebecca Emes and Edward Barnard in London, ca 1830. Bellied bowl with chased and stippled leaf and flower bowl. Concave neck and turned-down leaf-and-dart rim. Leaf-capped and -wrapped side handles with oak branch mounts. Short knopped support with egg-and-dart and leaf-and dart borders on lobed and stippled foot with applied leaves. Plain and square base. Opulent Classical centerpiece for flowers or wine. Marks worn. Excellent condition...

Gorgeous museum-quality Japonesque sterling silver trophy bowl. Made by Gorham in Providence in 1884. Large and round with allover ornament in relief. Horned serpents swim slack-jawed through the water. Talons and heads “puncture” the surface to form side handles. Astride one sits an artist, brush in hand recording the thrashing undulations and roiling waves. At mouth rim are applied strewn shells. Foot in form of entwined snakes.

Modish exoticism a world away from the fresh air and fair p...

Here we have a beautiful scroll with a mounted letter penned by famed Japanese poet Kobayashi Issa (1763-1828) who is known as one of the 4 great haiku poets of Japan along with the likes of Bashō, Buson, and Shiki. As one might expect, Kobayashi’s life was one of turbulence punctuated by several tragedies including the death of his mother at an early age and a lengthy legal battle with his step-mother over the family inheritance after the death of his father. Through it all Kobay...

Fairfax sterling silver coffee and tea set on tray. Made by Durham, which was part of Gorham, in Concord, ca 1926. This set comprises 7 pieces: Hot water kettle on stand, coffeepot, teapot, creamer, sugar, and waste bowl on tray.

Each: Chamfered. Rectilinear and tapering body on same foot. Handles scroll bracket. Covers gently raised with soft faceting (pot covers hinged). Finials chamfered with bead. Spouts faceted except for creamer, which has u-form spout. Tray rectangular with molded rim, ...

Occasionally while browsing through the temple markets of Kyoto or perusing backstreets tea-ware shops, an attractive piece will catch my eye for no particular reason. When this happens, I typically buy it immediately without hesitation, trusting that I will be able to place it to a specific period or kiln given enough time and research. In some cases however, this proves to be a fruitless task and I am left only to appreciate the beauty and form of the object without having access to too many d...

Japanese Jubako, traditional stacked lacquerware food boxes, represent not only culinary refinement but also an important aspect of Japanese food culture. These elegantly tiered containers, often adorned with intricate designs and vibrant colors, are integral to the presentation of special occasion meals such as New Year’s celebrations and formal picnics. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, Jubako boxes like the one featured here showcase the artistry of Japanese lacquerwa...

Created by Living National Treasure Isezaki Jun, Bizen pieces like the one seen here originated in Okayama (south-western Japan) and have a long history that is closely intertwined with that of tea culture. Known for employing a natural-ash glazing techniques that require extremely long firing times (7-14 days) at very high temperatures, constant attention is required to ensure good results. Here Isezaki can be seen pushing the bounds of tradition Bizen orthodoxies in interesting and creative wa...