New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-04-01
LESSON ~ TIE ARr or DECORATING
UTILITY

The general use Of silver the white gold
Of the Egyptians has always accompanied high cvliza
ton. gorgeous than gold it is satisfying to
eye and like gold neither rusts corrodes by the
action OF the atmosphere. 1t has extraordinary mae
bty: can be beaten into leaf 100000 OF inch in
thickness and INTO wire measuring 400 feet the
grain yet is so firm and tenacious that wire l2 OF an
inch IN diameter will support weight OF 1ss pounds
These qualities have made silver the fayorte metal for
the finer domestic In all times The use OF orDa-
mental articles made from silver is mentioned in the
Old Testament and by ancient writer's In Rome it was
applied TO the domestic and was also used by
the superstitious as IT has BEEN for votye offer
ings to the saints. That the syersmiths art IN au-
Gent Rome not carried to high pitch' may DC
inferred from fact that when Constantine the Great
wished 20 make a present TO the Roman churches
he bought his silver in bulk and apportioDed 1t out.
aottng certain number OF pounds to each church to
be beaten aud melted into chaces, cups candlestcks,
ETC. after was received. Such present would be dis
astrous to poor congregation in our day. when the
OF work done silyerware varies from four to
fifty times the value Of the metal used In the md
die ages Limoges became much celebrated Tor ts
slverwork and later. Paris In the fifteenth and six
eenth centuries the art highly esteemed at Paris
that Benvenuto Coini the great Italian siversmit was
received his visit at the French Court with little less
than royal honors. palace given him for work
shop, aud present OF beside pension OF 600
per live upon. Some beautiful desgns-
consigned by to the melting pot-were. in
that perpeuated in silver, passing generally into
the hands Of the wealthy monasteres and powerful no
bles. But the methods OF working were still very slow
aud cumbrous. At London and Birmingham. the great
centers Of the during the first half Of this century
the metal manufactured In the same blacksmith
style, with forge, hammer, and file. but in the last %
years since the art Of working in silver has been extern
svey practiced inventive land. more I'M
portant improvements have been made In 1t than during
many before Most OF these improvements in
tha nf ms nuf. haya
a single great house-that OF Tiffany Co OF this city
and II is by their productions that the superiority of
America solid silverware Is best Illustrated
TIE STORY or BOWL
interesting to follow the construction Of piece Of
Tiffany Co.'S work through s various processes, and TO
notice the facility and rapidity with which work is done
SeeR Of CONSTANT labor when done By hand once
Entering the designing room-the actual birthplace OF
waiting TO be perpetuated IN silver Nothing which can
suggest idea OF beauty or preserve an Old one is
neglected. Upon the walls models Of every kind.
The drawers about the full Of medals OF
date and nation, and heaped with scraps from the
illustrated papers. which contain some curve, leaf
scroll which may be utilized by the designer. A
library Of valuable books In all languages furnishes exact
records and plates Of the notable designs OF all times
in silver the kindred arts From all these sources and
his invention the designer makes working sketch
Here one for prize punch BOWL Ihis maze OF clrces
measures. lines. and drawings which no unproesoonal
eye can pretend TO unraye contains all the directions
INTO the workshops The silver has previously been
TO Is parts alloy This is the standard OF sterling silver
parts purer than American coin. The silver used i.
100 alloy. with this. enough pure SILVER Is mixed to
bring it up to the required sterling point Ihia MIXTURE
machne-there but one like 1t on the continent
these ingots are crushed between two steel rollers
The rollers drawn closer and closer together. and
the silver passed through again ana AGAIN u!l IL
comes out wide, smooth sheet OF oneeighth or one
sixteenth OF an inch IN thickness from TINS emp Is
cut TO 20 to tho mint Tor assay IN order 10 MAKE sure
that the metal is above the standard OF the house
man tin after this ceremony. The workman
cOnsults the plan we saw In the desgningroom cuts
base and sends them of the spinner. He also cuts
STRIPS he rolled into borders The spinner takes the
large circular plate for the bowl and fasteDs upon the
OF his lathe between two pieces OF wood, ono of
which shaped tue inside OF the bowl will be when
done. Then comes surprise The lathe begins 10
whrl; outlines OF plate aud wood grow ndstinct. With
q long, buntpOntcd steel used lever, the workman
brings a steady pressure upon the edge OF the plate
urthest from the large block IL begins curl the
edges gradually taking the shape OF huge saucer The
surface The softened metal up under the
ment approaches the surface Of the block closer and
bowl il removed from the block. The base Is
spun by the process into the belmouthed shape,
years ago when the spinning process introduced into
this country by Tiffany Co. all Of the shaping OF vessels
sometimes expended on the body OF a pot
The borders have already been rolled by machine
sharply OF fompeiian design The end Of the thin
regular ribbon OF sE odT at one s a ne
other side with the pattern deeply and clearly imprinted
upon 1t.
While these two operations have been IN progress,
the workncu casting ana chasing rooms have not
been idle side ornaments for handles have been cast,
one each eide. Crossed Oarsthe piece ~ for boat
race przeare tied together with punches Of aures by
flowing ribbon OF silver. All these things 30 the
sversmh He cleans the parts. files down little imper-
fectiOns, and soldiers them ali together.
But the ingenious soldering process must not be passed
unnoticed Anneang was formerly done with charcoal
hrcs, and soldering with whale-o lamps they were
slow, and clumsy, and dirty processes then. Tho
dust and ashes of the charcoal. and the hlthy SCOT
and curry OF the lamps, begrimed rooms and work
men alike. Now the rooms are clearly as irst-csss
laundry. and the workmen-we, the worknen are con
suerably cleaner than most washerwOmen. BY the side
of the solderor lies pipe composed of two parallel
tubes attached flexible hose; through hose pours
gas and through tho other condensed air. stopcock
turns both, the gas Is lighted, and the air rushing
out beside 1t projects the long flame upon any
does the Re'' work This system, invented ~
this house. has been partially copied by others
but this " the only house where II can be SAID
shat charcoal whatever is used. one OF the many
advantages of this the leSsened danger of fire Tiffany
a Co pay much less for Insurance than they did
under the old sperm and charcoal system The bowl now
goes the chases unless the separate parts have been
previously chased They with their gravers Orlng Out
The lines OF the leaves perfect the shape Of the
and put on certain delicate touches 10 tho border
From them II goes to TIE hnlshlngroom AFTER perfect
cleansing Here the vessel undergoes process of attr
with pumice ana rotten,tone proceeding constantly
from coarscr to inner powders coming at as TO rouge
unless II the famous satin nlsh Tor winch
the work OF the house is noted
FINISH.
This gives the outside shccny hoar-frOst appear
ance IS beautiful the smooth polish and far more rare
and elegant The borders and the side ornaments stu
piece carried the gliding department, where, by
means Of the wonderful electro gavanic process, the
mrror-ke inside OF the bowl the borders and punches
of leaves. are coated with shining gold. less than
three different This process OF gliding IN different
has only recently been perfected. after years
of constant experiment. BY mixing chemicals with the
cyanide Of potassium which the gold is solved, pc
culiar brightness Is attained. and the plating acquires
moreover such steey hardness that u can only be re
moved by actual grinding of. The bowl Is now com
pete and takes its place the showcase standing out
IN splendor against the dark blue velvet lining the
yellow t~ned upon the edges OF the dead satin
finished silver and the red gold laurel leaves contrasting
with the oxydiZed surface Of the crossed oars
But We must 20 back little. The adle has been Tor
gotten the spoon 1t Is made. strip OF silver