Spiral-lobed, globular teapot with bands of spiraled drops for the cylindrical neck and circular, flared foot. Flat-top, hinged lid is topped by a cast vertical melon shape. Cusped, C-curve handle is pinned into thin insulators and trumpet-shaped oval sockets. Body perforated at plain, shallow S-curve spout. Underside of flat bottom is struck incuse with concentric circular mark of "KANN BROS SILVER CO / BALTO. / QUADRUPLE / PLATE" next to "6 / 1133". Same numbers are scratched inside lid; inside upper half of hinge is stamped "IV".
Maker is Kann Bros. Silver Co. of Baltimore, MD; 1899-1913.
Black cylindrical candle box with inset ends on four cast feet. Hinged lid is decorated with a cluster of three strawberries and leaves created by a positive stencil on a metallic gold and copper ground with gilt pencilwork details added. Gilt rope border on lid, flourishes on ends, and lines on feet. Gilt signature at lower right "Makey".
Black-japanned chamberstick with large loop handle and cylindrical candle cup or socket mounted at center of a deep circular bowl with wire-rolled rim and foot ring. Painted decoration inside bowl includes a wide yellow or white band above a thin yellow line that features a repeating pattern of three red cherries on a single stem attached to a seven-lobed green leaf; a yellow band overpainted with an undulating or wavy black line borders the low-domed well. No marks. One of a pair, 1990.0503.01-.02.
T-shaped element made from a short square bar tenoned through a larger rectangular crosspiece and peened at top. Opposite end of the square bar is punched with a circular hole, while the crosspiece has two rectangular slots or through mortises running front to back at one end and two offset rectangular pockets or blind mortises at top and bottom of the other end. Yellow chalk marks across one side of crosspiece.
Maker is Keyser Brothers Iron Works, 4041 Ridge Ave. in Germantown, Philadelphia, PA, 1928-1971. Run by James Moore Bryant Keyser (1902-1977) and master blacksmith Howard Keyser III (1904-1980). Specialized in residential and ecclesiastical ornamental wrought ironwork, including the High Altar Gates in the National Cathedral, Washington, D.C. The forge was housed in an 1850s stone industrial complex that was dismantled in 1971 (documented by HABS/HAER).
Assembled candlestick composed of a British infantry officer's sword hilt for the stem and an English-style, swan-neck riding spur screwed into its pommel for the base; two, domed-top, flathead screws in the spur's terminals can be adjusted for stability. Removable circular nozzle, cylindrical candle cup or socket and lobed circular bobeche or drip pan are screwed into the ricasso. Ricasso stamped "PROVED" in a circle.
Single-burner gas stove and heater consisting of a cylindrical, perforated outer shell or casing containing a conical incandescent member; brass supply valve with threaded connector at back. Rubber hose wrapped around base. Cast, removable grill top has "PAT. / APP'D. / FOR" and "VULCAN (arched) / 345" in raised sans serif letters inside ovals on opposite sides of the open-scroll border. Cast shell-and-scroll base with four feet has "W. H. CRANE (arched) / CO. / N. Y." in raised sans serif letters on one side.
John M. Brock of New York, NY, assignor to William H. Crane Company, also of New York, NY, filed his application for the design of this gas stove on September 16, 1907, and received U.S. Patent No. 978,127 for it on December 6, 1910. W. H. Crane manufactured gas appliances under the "Vulcan" brand name.
Raised, spiral-lobed, compressed globular, open sugar bowl with Chinoiserie decoration, including two cast and applied S-curve dragon handles and ten chased and repousse panels on body depicting bamboo, peonies, flowering prunus branches and dragons, all on a finely-textured ground; Oriental scenes on two side panels feature a scholar seated at a rock opposite another scholar seated at a table. Narrow cylindrical collar or opening. Slightly concave bottom is struck on underside with two marks, "TC" and a Chinese ideogram, both in rounded rectangles. Part of a four-piece service, DL*62.0334A-D.
Raised, spiral-lobed, pear-shaped cream pitcher with Chinoiserie decoration, including a cast and applied S-curve dragon handle and ten chased and repousse panels on body depicting bamboo, peonies, flowering prunus branches and dragons, all on a finely-textured ground; Oriental scenes on two side panels feature a man travelling by donkey opposite a scholar and servant fishing. Floral-decorated inset spout has flared lip. Slightly concave bottom is struck on underside with two marks, "TC" and a Chinese ideogram, both in rounded rectangles. Part of a four-piece service (kettle, stand and burner counted as one piece), DL*62.0334A-D.
Single-cup coffee maker, black plastic, intended to sit on top of a coffee mug or cup. Funnel, inverted cone shape at top, exterior is smooth, interior has ridges radiating from center hole. Small tab handle at top edge, embossed on top: "COFFEE-CONE®" in serif font, "by David Douglas" in cursive. Bottom is embossed in sans serif: "PATENT/PENDING". Bottom of cone flares into flattened circular foot on bottom, pierced.
Patents:
US D203854 S, February 22, 1966, David Douglas, for "Coffee maker" (filied June 4, 1964)
US 3334574 A, August 8, 1967, David Douglas, for "Cup mounted coffee cones" (filed June 4, 1964)
Maker is Douglas Plymouth Corporation, Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
Black-japanned chamberstick with large loop handle and cylindrical candle cup or socket mounted at center of a deep circular bowl with wire-rolled rim and foot ring. Painted decoration inside bowl includes a wide yellow or white band above a thin yellow line that features a repeating pattern of three red cherries on a single stem attached to a seven-lobed green leaf; a yellow band overpainted with an undulating or wavy black line borders the low-domed well. No marks. One of a pair, 1990.0503.01-.02.
Holiday or Christmas ornament, in the shape of an aerostat or hot air balloon. Free-blown glass, unsilvered, pink balloon shape at top of ornament, with smaller, milky-white balloon shape at bottom, connected by long thin tube with glossy scrap paper putti attached. Paper was likely cut from a print. The entire ornament is wrapped in crinkle wire and thin coils. Metal cap attached at top with brown string tied for hanger. No mark. A reflection of the rise in popularity of hot air ballooning in the United States and Europe during the second half of the nineteenth century. This became a standard form of ornament produced during that time, into the twentieth century.
Hinged asparagus tongs in the shape of an asparagus spear, with two finger rings attached to one side and one ring to the other. Hinge exterior on single ring side is struck with two marks, an incuse square containing a diamond-with-balanced-scales logo for Christofle above "CHRISTOFLE" in an incuse decorative font in a rectangle; double ring side is stamped incuse "BREVETÉ / S. G. D. G." in sans serif letters. Interior of each half is scratched at top on opposite corners "XII".
Maker is Christofle of Paris, France. "BREVETÉ / S. G. D. G." or "Breveté Sans Garantie Du Gouvernement" is a type of French patent that frees the government from liability.