La Rochelle silver dinner set for 12. Made by Tetard Frères in France. This set comprises 90 pieces (dimensions in inches):

Knives: 12 dinner knives (9 3/4) and 12 fish knives (8 1/8);

Forks: 12 dinner forks (8 1/4), 12 dessert forks (6 7/8), and 12 fish forks (6 7/8);

Spoons: 12 soup spoons (6 7/8) and 12 teaspoons (5 3/4);

Serving pieces: gravy ladle (6 7/8), spoon (8), sugar spoon (5 1/2), cold meat fork (9 5/8), butter spreader (6 1/2), and pie server (10 7/8).

Dinner knives, butt...

German 800 silver figural stirrup cup, ca 1910. Cast boar head with flexed-back ears, fierce eyes, funny snout, and fearsome teeth and tusks. Bowl straight and tapering with tooled bands; gilt-washed interior. Marked. Very good condition with nice patina.

Pocket-sized dimensions: H 4 1/2 x W 1 7/8 in. Heavy weight: 5 troy ounces. #BZ597

An antique American Edwardian delicate filigree platinum bow pin decorated with a center round diamond and inlaid with small diamonds throughout the bow. A small circular pendant of diamonds with a center drop diamond hangs from the bow. American, circa 1900 approx. 1 carat of diamonds total. Excellent condition, the pin measures 2" in length.

German silver figural dog stirrup cup, ca 1920. Cast bust of spaniel with long snout, resolutely closed mouth, and direct, concentrated gaze as well as floppy ears and thick fur. Mounted to plain and upward tapering bowl. A loyal hunt companion. Marked with maker’s stamp “Föhr” (probably, Eduard Foehr) and old-fashioned “13” (that is, 13/16 loths or 812 silver). Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 6 3/4 x D 3 5/8 in. Weight: 8 troy ounces. #BZ714

Classical coin silver basket. Made by Haddock, Lincoln & Foss in Boston, ca 1860. Round and curved with four cast leaf-mounted leaf supports. Beaded mouth rim and c-scroll swing handle. Marked with maker’s stamp. Very good condition with nice patina.

Dimensions: H (without handle) 3 3/8 x D 5 in. H (with handle) 6 3/8 in. Weight: 8.2 troy ounces. #BZ390

A beautiful old Kyo-ware tea bowl slightly elongated on one end producing an interesting and unique effect. The collector who furnished the box labeled it as being by the legendary potter Ninsei (17th C.). Though the potter’s mark suggests this could be the case, there is no way to confirm for certain other than by its age and undeniably elegant craftsmanship. Believing it to be quite precious, the previous owner bestowed it with the poetic name "Ibitsu" which means "warped" or "cu...

Pair of German silver wedding cups. Imported to England by Martin Sugar in 1891. Each: Snug-fitting bodice and raised arms holding aloft scrolled brackets with swing-mounted double-domed bowl. Larger bowl in form of skirt. Chased and engraved strapwork and leafing scrolls. On back is a Green Man between conch-blowing cherubs. One in form of bosomy woman with crown. The other in form of hirsute man with wreath.

Hanau maker’s stamp (Neresheimer) and English sterling standard import marks with ...

Dutch silver figural spice box. Imported to England in 1891 by BH Joseph & Co. An egret gracefully scrolled neck, red glass eyes, and gaping beak stands on one scaly leg, the other leg raised with clenched talons. A beautiful bird with nicely delineated plumage. Hinged at bust. Dutch assay stamp and date letter, and English sterling-standard import marks including London assay stamp. Excellent condition.

Dimensions: H 15 1/2 x W 6 3/4 x D 4 1/4 in. Weight: 19 troy ounces. #BZ288

A green turquoise pendant with matching chain. The center turquoise appears to be stabilized with an epoxy film. The silver and dyed howlite bead chain measures 20"; the pendant 2" x 1-5/8". Ganadonegro has been creating jewelry since 1984. The pendant is signed on the back.

This piece is described on the box as a Hikidashi Kuro Chawan. In Japanese hikidashi means “a pull-out drawer” and the term first came into use at Mino kilns in the 16th century to describe individual pieces that were pulled out of the wood kiln at the peak of firing to gauge if the batch was ready. The rapid cooling of such pieces often creates dramatic effects, with the most noted being rich varieties of deep black. Today this practice has fallen out of use and and only a handful of master...

German 800 silver cow creamer, ca 1910. Stocky body, flexed ears, flicked-back tail handle, and hinged and stippled back flap with engraved wreath and applied fly finial. A gentle face with red-glass eyes and gaping-mouth spout. A capacious dispenser on four firmly planted hoofs. German marks and American importer’s mark for Buchholz & Zelt in New York. Very good condition.

Overall dimensions: H 7 1/2 x L 10 x W 3 1/8 in. Weight: 17.5 troy ounces. #BX770

German 800 silver figural wedding cup, ca 1920. A Baroque dame with snug-fitting bodice and wide and raised lace collar holds aloft scrolled-brackets with swing-mounted double-domed lobed and garlanded bowl. Second larger bowl in form of conical skirt with patterned fabrics and delineated folds and hang. Ornament chased and engraved. Hanau maker’s mark (Neresheimer). Very good condition with nice patina.

Dimensions: H 13 7/8 x W 5 5/8 x D 4 1/8 in. Weight: 19.8 troy ounces. #BZ592

Japanese silver box, ca 1890. Rectangular with straight sides and hinged cover. On cover top and box sides are chased and engraved iris flowers and tendrils in eddying water. Stippled ground. Box and cover interior lined with stained wood. Open bottom. Meiji-era Art Nouveau for the cosmopolitan West. Appears to be unmarked. Very good condition with deep patina.

Dimensions: H 3 x W 6 3/4 x D 3 5/8 in. Gross weight: 15 troy ounces. #BX248

Set of 4 turn-of-the-century French Belle Epoque Rococo 950 silver open salts and spoons. Each salt: Open oval with scrolled and leafing rim and four reeded and scrolled supports. Asymmetrical scrolled cartouches engraved with interlaced script monogram. Cobalt glass liner with scalloped rim. Each spoon: Double-sided gilt-washed shell bowl and tapering stem with raised scrollwork. All pieces have maker’s stamp for V. Boivin. Spoons have Minerva head. Very good condition.

Overall dimensions: ...

A key figure in the Japanese folk craft movement of the 20th century, Fujita Kyohei is credited with helping to develop a thriving glass-working community within Japan. Best known for his “dream” or “Liuli” boxes—very colorful and skillfully crafted boxes that often incorporated gold and silver leaf into their designs. Here we see a piece that would likely have been crafted earlier in his career but that demonstrates his masterful technique even then. In 1972 Fujita, along ...

Charming rectangular Shakudo brooch with gold and silver detail featuring a laughing man. The brooch is braced by a 12K gold mount. Made in Japan. Meiji era, ca. 1880. Excellent condition with fine patina.

Dimensions: H 7/8 x L 1 7/8 in. #1119

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...

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...