#Antique #Tiffany #Flatware #Patterns #Collect #WorthPoint
The economic prosperity of the late 19th and early 20th centuries elevated dining to an art form. The desire to show off wealth was paramount to maintaining or raising your standing in high society, and a dinner party and the flatware provided for guests could make or break a hostess.
During this time in American history, when lavishness ruled all, prestigious jewelry and silver firm Tiffany & Co. created some of the grandest services imaginable. Some were so beautiful that custom cases were crafted to display them daily.
Recognizing its artistry and significance in silver craft, collectors still avidly seek and use Tiffany’s flatware today.
AMERICAN STANDARD FOR FLATWARE
The company’s legacy started in 1837 when Charles Lewis Tiffany started his small dry-goods and stationery store in New York that eventually became the famous high-end brand Tiffany & Co.
Tiffany responded to Americans’ love of beautifully designed serving utensils by crafting various unusual pieces. It debuted its first flatware pattern in 1847, which quickly gained worldwide renown. Since then, the company’s vast collection of exclusive designs spans decorative art styles through history, from lavish classical motifs to stylish modern geometrics.
Today, dozens of different serving pieces are available, from carving knives and sugar spoons to cake servers and gravy ladles, as well as significant, matched services in fitted boxes that were in vogue with wealthy buyers.
Let’s take a look at five antique flatware patterns that are among Tiffany’s most notable and popular with collectors. (Prices are for sets and pieces sold in the past three years.)
FANEUIL, CIRCA 1870
Tiffany named its Faneuil pattern for the historic Faneuil Hall in Boston, Massachusetts. It’s a modified Queen Anne design and typical of American flatware made during the Revolutionary period.
Faneuil’s refined styling and simplicity are a nod to the modest and understated silver work of early Colonial American silversmiths. The pattern captures the elegant and sophisticated aesthetic Tiffany is known for, and each piece is minimally decorated to allow the natural beauty of sterling silver to shine.
Depending on the number of pieces, complete sets range from $2,000 to $10,000+; sets of only forks, knives, or spoons from $50 to $1,600; and individual serving pieces from $26.99 for a cocktail fork to $1,300 for a 14K gold demitasse spoon.
AUDUBON, CIRCA 1871
Inspired by 19th-century Japanese bird paintings, Audubon depicts eight different feathered friends and flowers. Tiffany’s visionary designer, Edward C. Moore, created Audubon, originally named Japanese, during the most innovative period in its silverwork history. It was the first Tiffany pattern to embody the Japanese revival style and was completely different from anything in American silver then.
A favorite pattern for over 150 years, each piece of Audubon features an exotic bird on the front, with a complimentary Japanese flower on the back, and is a work of art.
Complete sets range from $4.000 to $60,000; sets of only forks, knives, or spoons from $135 to $4,375; and individual serving pieces from $37.95 for a teaspoon to $2,795 for a fish serving fork.
CHRYSANTHEMUM, 1880
Charles T. Grosjean, one of the most gifted silver designers of the late 19th century and Tiffany’s head of silverware, created Chrysanthemum. Its ornate pattern blends traditional Baroque elements with a modern, natural motif of the elegant, blossoming flowers that give the service its name. Its sweeping foliage and flowing lines are evocative of art nouveau’s style. The back of each piece is also more elaborately decorated than the front, creating a surprising visual treat.
As one of Tiffany’s most elaborately detailed and expensive flatware designs, Chrysanthemum was a favorite of Victorian brides and socialites. The pattern was so popular Tiffany adapted it for use in its hollowware pieces, including large serving dishes. Chrysanthemum is still highly prized today.
Complete sets range from $2,600 to $26,000; sets of only forks, knives, or spoons from $100 to $3,500; individual serving pieces range from $33.95 for a salt spoon to $2,999 for a rare toast fork.
ENGLISH KING, CIRCA 1885
Grosjean also designed English King, Tiffany’s most popular flatware pattern. It’s a version of the “King” designs popular in America and England in the latter 19th century. It has a heavy sterling body, and its luxurious decoration of swirling foliate motifs accented with scalloped tips and scrolled edges demonstrates extraordinary craftsmanship and reflects the need for elaborate entertaining at that time.
For Tiffany’s 150th anniversary, the company chose this pattern for Blair House, the official guest quarters for dignitaries in Washington, DC. English King sets achieve high prices, especially if they retain their original fitted cases.
Complete sets range from $1,180 to $36,505; sets of only forks, knives, or spoons from $50 to $2,000; and individual serving pieces from $9.99 for an egg spoon to $1,250 for a punch ladle.
SHELL & THREAD, CIRCA 1905
Shell & Thread’s classic simplicity is rooted in the architectural design elements favored during George III’s reign, and it’s one of Tiffany’s oldest continuing patterns.
A shell motif and classic “fiddle” shape, accentuated by raised border edges, make this flatware pattern at home on nearly any table. Its beauty and versatility also make it Tiffany’s most popular classic design.
Complete sets range from $1,062 to $29,995; sets of only forks, knives, or spoons from $50 to $750; and individual serving pieces from $19.99 for a cheese knife to $699 for a large ice spoon.
Tiffany flatware is a beautiful blend of form and function, and its timeless appeal continues to delight collectors and add sparkle to dining tables.
To learn more about Tiffany & Co., check out the WorthPoint Dictionary page on the famous brand. To learn more about flatware in general, check out this Dictionary page and this book in our Library.
Adina K. Francis has been a writer and editor in the antiques and collectibles field for more than 20 years. She has a bit of an obsession with the Victorians and thinks that dogs are one of life’s greatest gifts.
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