Straight steel blade with rounded tip. Blade and rectangular bolster are one piece of steel with tang fitted into a tapered ivory handle with straight sides and rounded butt. Metal is discolored, minor rust. Ivory is yellowed and separated from bolster. Long crack in handle from bolster to butt. Blade stamped: “PRATT ROPES WEBB&Co / AMERICAN CUTLERY”. With matching fork, 1986.0531.116.
Open salt shaped as a hemispherical water lily with horizontal, S-scroll stem attached to flat lily pad. Gilt-washed interior. Underside of pad struck with incuse circular mark containing a pointed shield with balanced scales bordered by "x MERIDEN x / B. COMPANY." in sans serif letters above "31". Black plastic label embossed "459" adhered on bottom underside. One of four, 1984.0424.04-.07.
Open salt shaped as a hemispherical water lily with horizontal, S-scroll stem attached to flat lily pad. Gilt-washed interior. Underside of pad struck with incuse circular mark containing a pointed shield with balanced scales bordered by "x MERIDEN x / B. COMPANY." in sans serif letters above "31". Black plastic label embossed "459" adhered on bottom underside. One of four, 1984.0424.04-.07.
Green paper-covered, rectangular box, printed in gray at center of cover "(5-pointed star) ROGERS & BRO. 12. (arched) / TRIPLE PLATE. / WATERBURY, CONN. (curved)" in several decorative fonts. Interior is lined with burgundy paper and has red-wool covered wooden supports at ends slotted to receive six knives. Original manufacturer's box for set of 6 Rogers & Bro. "Star" brand No. 12 table knives, 1986.0531.226-.231.
Three-tined with chamfered baluster stem and rectangular bolster. Tines, stem, and bolster are one piece of steel with tang fitted into a tapered ivory handle with straight sides and rounded butt. Metal is discolored, minor rust. Ivory is yellowed and separated from bolster. No mark. With matching knife, 1986.0531.115), marked “PRATT ROPES WEBB&Co / AMERICAN CUTLERY”.
Straight steel blade with rounded tip. Blade and rectangular bolster are one piece of steel with tang fitted into a tapered ivory handle with straight sides and rounded butt. Metal has minor discoloration, some residues on blade. Ivory is yellowed. Blade stamped: “PRATT ROPES WEBB&Co / AMERICAN CUTLERY”. With matching fork, 1986.0531.114.
Two-handled, circular spoon holder on four legs ending in lion's paw feet decorated with stamped and chased mimosa foliage on its body. Sharply-angled handles, square in section, have scroll-ended upper terminals and square-and-scroll lower terminals. Circular lion's masks are at top corners of handles and at middle of leg mounts. Underside of flat bottom is struck incuse with a circular mark containing a pointed shield with balanced scales bordered by "MERIDEN / B. COMP[AN]Y" in sans serif letters; "PATENT APPLIED FOR" is stamped above and "1877" below.
Maker is Meriden Britannia Company of Meriden, CT. Meriden Britannia Co. was founded in 1852 and became a subsidiary of International Silver Co. in 1898; International continued to use the Meriden name and mark until at least the 1930s.
Flat-chased, two-handled, ovoid urn with plain, incurved neck and low-domed conical cover topped by an upright flower on short, conical or tapered circular base mounted inside four, cast, S-curve, strapwork legs with a bearded man's face at the knees and scrolled acanthus feet. Decoration includes a low-relief band of plumed birds amidst flowers and urns at the shoulder and asymmetrical, Japonesque or oriental-inspired designs on the body featuring two angled bands with geometric-patterned semicircles. Vertical, square tapered, bracket handles with C-curve terminals. Twist spigot handle with bone knobs. Circular frame attached to interior of legs holds a removable, single-wick spirit burner. Underside of tapered base is struck incuse with an oval mark for "SIMPSON, HALL, MILLER & CO / +" encircling "TREBLE / PLATE" at center.
Japanned conical coffeepot with a rounded, hinged lid topped by a small loop at front. Tapered D- or ear-shaped strap handle is opposite of the straight, tapered, soft-soldered lapped-seam spout; flat bottom with projecting, folded edge. Wire-rimmed body has an added triangular piece below its vertical folded seam and is perforated at spout. Painted decoration features a red, left-facing, kidney-shaped flower on curved red stem with green leaves; flower is accented by rows of yellow, alizarin and white dots above a fan of white and alizarin overtones, and is surrounded by yellow and green leaflets. Yellow and red brushwork covers lid and borders rim and base. Fine yellow strokes beneath spout. Mottled asphaltum background. No marks.
Attributed to one of the Filley Tinshops, located in Bloomfield, CT, Lansingburgh, NY, and Philadelphia, PA; with decoration painted by Edward Francis (d. 1826), who worked for the Filley family at all three shops.
Circular urn-shaped pitcher on a double-domed, circular pedestal base with large, thick scrolls of flat-chased and repousse grapevines on its ovoid body forming a symmetrical reserve at front engraved in script "Presented / to / Daniel Woodward Esq"r. / By the hands employed by him / in No 1 Basement Room Tremont Mill. / Lowell April 9\th/.. 1859." Applied beading at deeply curved rim with wide pouring lip, top of pedestal and bottom of base; large raised bead around shoulder. Cast and flat-chased, S-curve grapevine handle. Circular medallion or tag applied to underside of rounded bottom is embossed "* ROGERS, SMITH & C\o/. (arched) / (flourish) / N\o. / NEW HAVEN, C\T/. *" and struck incuse at center "1856".
Knife, part of a picnic set with matching fork (1986.0531.062B). Short, straight steel blade with pointed tip and pewter bolster. Blade and tang are one piece of steel fitted with bolster into a wooden handle with rounded sides and blunt butt. Handle is comprised of two pieces of wood riveted to tang with brass pins. When facing one another, knife and fork fit together. Metal is scratched and stained overall, minor rust, nicks in bolster. Wood is separating towards butt.
Blade is etched: “UNIVERSAL/L.F.&C.”
Maker is Landers, Frary & Clark, New Britain, Connecticut (c. 1862). In 1890, L. F. & C. took on the Trademark “Universal”, in 1965, General Electric acquired the company. The company began using the abbreviation “L.F.& C.” in 1898, this mark is dated 1912.
Four-lobed, tapering oval, opaque black glass vase with gilt crenellated rim and white enamel decoration in a partial-gilt, asymmetrical, Japanesque holder or stand having a central vertical rod topped by two, flat-chased, circular hand-held fans that is braced by a longer angled rod with bird perched near top and a crooked bamboo shoot, all joined to a right-angled triangular block on flared circular base with two bees. Vase exterior is painted with a child dropping flower petals on one side and floral sprigs on the other three. Base underside is struck incuse "ROGERS, SMITH & Co. (arched) / NEW / HAVEN / CONN (curved)" and "328", with a series of faint, illegible numbers and letters incised at left. Vase unmarked.
Ovoid teapot with incurved neck and low-domed, hinged lid topped by a cross-and-flared-square finial on four legs ending in lion's paw feet; flat-chased mimosa foliage on body and a curvilinear cross design on lid. Sharply-angled handle, square in section and pinned into thin insulators, has a scroll-ended upper terminal and square-and-scroll lower terminal. Circular lion's masks at top corner of handle, sides of S curve spout and middle of leg mounts and sides of the S curve spout. Convex strainer attached inside body at spout. Underside of flat bottom is struck incuse with a circular mark containing a pointed shield with balanced scales bordered by "MERIDEN / B. COMPANY" in sans serif letters; "PATENT APPLIED FOR" is stamped above and "1877" and "5" are below. From a six-piece coffee and tea service, 1984.0424.13-.18.