93 Pieces Estate St Cloud Gorham Sterling Flatware 1885 incl rare pieces 165 oz


93 Pieces Estate St Cloud Gorham Sterling Flatware 1885 incl rare pieces 165 oz

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93 Pieces Estate St Cloud Gorham Sterling Flatware 1885 incl rare pieces 165 oz:
$5001.99


For sale today is the mother lode of Gorham’s delightful belleépoque St Cloudpattern (pat.1885). I have 93 pieces for sale, all estate, all sterling, nothingplated, and none with base-metal blades/ handles or other non-sterling parts.This huge mountain of sterling flatware weighs 165 oz, 151 troy oz, or 4.7 kg!

The St Cloud pattern features a densely decoratedhandle with a shell at the midsection and flowing foliage and swirls against atrellis background. In its day it was avant-garde and revolutionary, and itremains a classic more than 125 years later.

St Cloud wasdesigned by Antoine Heller, Gorham\'s chief designer of the 1880s. Heller was trainedas a die chaser – he hand-finished the molds used in die-stamping silver. Dueto the technical difficulty of the work, and the great expense of making diesfor stamping, this was traditionally the highest paying craft position in asilver (or metal) manufactory.

Gorham had hired him after he had finished hisstudies at L\'Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris,sending him directly to their manufactory in Providence RI.It was there that he created some of the most exquisite die-stamped patternsever made, including Nuremburg, Old Master, Mythologique, Versailles, Cluny andof course, St. Cloud. Later, he worked for Tiffany in New York City, creating their Olympianpattern.

The wealthy loved this pattern. For example, atthe turn of the century, Edith Stuyvesant Dresser Vanderbilt, the wife ofGeorge W., remarked that St Cloud washer preferred sterling flatware for use at lavish banquets at Biltmore House, thefamily’s \'country cottage\' in the North Carolina mountains, which also happens to be the largest private home in America.

A bit about this collection: I have owned itfor years, but it has remained boxed-up in my closet and never used. Iinherited the box and its contents from a long-time family friend,MB, who died childless in 1988, aged 101. Shehad been given the seeds of thiscollection by her own mother when she came of age ~1905. Liking the pattern,MB acquired add\'n pieces of St Cloudas gifts, and purchased more whenever she ran across individual items in silver shops(or the pawn stores she frequented). Thusshe added over the years to her mother’s original bequest. I believe she had anearly complete set at one point, but I have no idea what happened to the otherpieces. She used her St Cloudfor everyday dining at home until she passed, and the collection was then boxedup and shipped to me.

This collection, with items both more commonand very rare, is entirely comprised of estate pieces, including the following:

1. seventeen (17) dessertforks (6.75”)(two without monograms);

2. four (4) table forks(7.5”);

3. twelve (12) tablespoons(8”);

4. one (1) large servingspoon (8.75”);

5. four (4) dessertspoons (7”);

6. ten (10) teaspoons(5.5”);

7. two (2) grapefruitspoons (6”)(one without monogram);

8. four (4) butterknives, all sterling (7.75”)(three without monograms);

9. one (1) tea/ breakfastknife, all sterling (7.25”);

10.one (1) large crumb knife, all sterling (12.5”);

11.one (1) large pie knife, all sterling (9”)(without monogram);

12.one (1) sardine fork (6”)(without monogram);

13.one (1) pickle fork (6”);

14.one (1) olive fork (6”);

15.four (4) oyster forks (5.75”)(one without monogram);

16.four (4) salad forks, pierced (6”);

17.one (1) large cold meat fork (8.5”)(without monogram);

18.three (3) large scalloped jelly/ preserve spoons (8.75”)(two without monograms);

19.three (3) coffee spoons (4.5”)(two without monograms);

20.one (1) sugar spoon (6.25”);

21.one (1) salt spoon (3.5”)(without monogram);

22.one pair, salad spoon and fork servers (11.5”);

23.one pair, fish knife and fork servers (13” and 9”);

24.one (1) bon bon scoop (5.75”);

25.one (1) sugar tongs (5.25”);

26.eight (8) children’s spoons (6”)(five without monograms);

27.one (1) cream ladle (7.5”); and

28.one (1) sugar sifter with fretwork bowl (7.5”)(without monogram).

Condition: there are a few pieces with very minorage dings from use, but nothing that impairs the aesthetics or function. Someare tarnished,many have periodmonograms, and one (the pair of salad servers) sportsa slight gold wash of indeterminate age.

I can provide more detailed photos ofindividual pieces on request.

It is the stated opinion of two silver dealersto whom I spoke that Gorham did, in fact, produce custom items in the St Cloud patternwhich didnot appear in their original catalogue. Examples of such include the largeserving spoon, the grapefruit spoons, and the pierced salad forks above, all ofwhich are indisputably period, but none of which appear in the original 1885catalogue.

And speaking of the original catalogue, alongwith this collection I will send the buyer a reprint of the catalogue from thelate 19th century. It is 16 large loose pages, and the cover sheetreads, “St Cloud Modele, Gorham Co., silversmiths, New York, Broadway, Chicago, State Street, San Francisco,Sutter Street,Manufactory, Providence RI.” Itpictures most, though not all, of the individual pieces for sale here.

I urge you to go online, esp to replacements.com, and see theprices of these pieces IF you can even find some of them.

And now for the fine print of this sale:

I work out of town, and will reply to emails,and ship the collection to the buyer, as soon as able when I’m back(i.e., within a week). This collection is subject to prior local sale without notice.NC residents must include sales tax. There can be no refunds except formaterially incorrect description and photos; returned funds will not includeshipping costs in such a case. I travel in the mid-Atlantic and may be able todeliver (email me if this is desired).


93 Pieces Estate St Cloud Gorham Sterling Flatware 1885 incl rare pieces 165 oz:
$5001.99

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