: April was a banner month for Dennis Auction Service.
On April 3 the gallery had its most successful auction and on
April 1 silver hit an all-time high when exceptional sterling
silver hollowware and flatware from various New York and New
Jersey estates sold in 350 lots, including 30 lots of fine
jewelry.
Continental silver and coin silver included Tiffany, Cartier,
Gorham, Georg Jensen, S. Kirk, Dominick and Haff, T.B. Starr and
Mappin Webb. Many early hallmarked pieces were also offered and
several lots of silver plate brought high prices.
The top lot of the sale was an important 1892 Gorham five-quart
covered entrée dish that was made especially for exhibition at
the 1893 World's Fair Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The piece
was originally part of a set; at the close of the exhibition each
silver maker that worked on it was given a piece of the set. The
inscription of the notable Gertrude Rhinelander Waldo
appeared on the bottom of the piece.
Unusual six-light Danish sterling silver candelabra, $2,300.
The rectangular-shaped dish measuring 16 inches long by 10
inches wide by 111/4 inches high was signed with the Gorham lion/
anchor/ G 3803, was dated 1892 and weighed 107 troy ounces. Heavily
decorated with shell motifs, acanthus leaves, gadrooned borders and
repousse and chased roses, the piece had a gold wash interior.
Active bidding resulted in a realized price of $16,100.
Other items of importance included a six-piece Gorham repousse
tea and coffee service having a swing stand with burner, 170.9
troy ounces that was dated 1895 and achieved a final price of
$7,475. Two sterling silver hammered console bowls, 111/4 by 6
inches high, 50 troy ounces, brought $1,380 and a 14-inch by
7-inch Franklin Mint heavy sterling silver bicentennial bowl with
24 karat gold wash sold for $2,013.
A price of $1,265 was paid for a Georg Jensen sterling silver
side-pour teapot with ivory handle and finial, 18 troy ounces,
and a 103/4-inch horn handled sterling silver tyg presented in
1911 for a 50th Anniversary of T. Shriver & Co brought
$1,380. A handsome 241/2-inch sterling Reed & Barton "Hampton
Court Shield" serving tray, 103 troy ounces, sold for $1,840 and
a price of $2,300 was achieved for a pair of unusual six-light
Danish sterling silver candelabras, 67.8 troy ounces.
Several sets of important flatware were offered. Chief among them
was a 98-piece Theodore B. Starr sterling sil-ver flatware set
with a Dominic & Haff maker's mark, 166 troy ounces, that
sold for $5,865. A 130-piece Danish sterling silver flatware
service made by Frigast, Denmark, 216 troy ounces, reached a
price of $2,875.
Another set that generated keen interest was a Mapin & Webb
silver set of flatware with the original dovetailed fitted box,
London-Sheffield, 132 troy ounces, which also brought $2,875. A
95-piece Tiffany & Co set of flatware in a mahogany box, 185
troy ounces, sold for $3,335 from a phone bidder and an
exceptional Tiffany & Co makers sterling silver berry spoon
with a pea and pod design achieved $1,610.
Platinum flip watch with diamonds and pearls, $2,300.
Very few silver plate items appeared in the sale but those
that did brought surprising good prices; among them were two
91/4-inch Boyce New York silver plated footed trays with coat of
arms that realized $1,840. An item that generated a great deal of
bidder interest prior to sale was a Derby silver plated stein in
the form of a golf bag. This finely detailed item from the
Victorian era sold under active bidding for $1,380.
A select group of jewelry featured an 18K gold diamond brooch
with seven round old European-cut diamonds weighing approximately
1.7 carats and nine single-cut diamonds that sold for $2,070. Two
phone bidders battled it out for a platinum flip watch with 4.7
carats total diamonds and pearls resulting in a final price of
$2,300. Pocket watch collectors found an 18 karat gold key wind
21-jewel large chronometer balance pocket watch marked M.L.
Matile, Locle, circa 1840 that realized $1,150.
Prices include a 15 percent buyer's premium.
