The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-03-26
FINE ART IN sILvERwARE.
Fortunes Spent on Be utiful Designs
Made To-Day.
From the Ne,0 York Star.

fortunes Spent on Be utiful Designs
Made To-Day.
From, the Ne,1 York Star.
Never before has American silverware
occupied the position it does to-day. 1t is
uEeaualed the world over. Twenty years
ago rich Americans bought great, ugly
pieces abroad, and treasured them as mar
wells of the silversynith's art. Now the
American who wishes TO furnish his side
board with the richest decorated ware buys
at home and silver OF American workman
ship is used in dozens Of noble, and not a
few royal homes of Europe. Prices are
sometimes enormous Dinner sets at 5000,
5000, 5000 and $4,000 are not
unusual A pair of candelabra, not more
than 20 inches high, may cost from $500 to
$1,000. This particular article is much in
demand now by reason of the increased use
of candles for lighting dinner tables, and
candelai ra at these prices have constant
sale. The rage for euriching articles Of
common use with silver has reached prob
ably it's greatest hight. Silver toilet arti
Giles are among those most in demand Here
is a hairbrush, the bristles set in solid silver.
The whole surface Is incrusted with an in
tricate ornamental design. The price is
s75. You may buy them at $50, $40, $50,
$50. Whole sets, including the brush and
half a dozen small objects, sell for $500 or
$500. These are by no means the most ex-
pensive Rich people who put a years
moderate income into t ifies such as these
have sets made TO order from special de-
signs. at 81, 900. So, 500 and 5000. 1t would
be hard TO name limit for the price of OBJ
1ects in silver since the art OF decorating
that metal has been brought to its present
perfection,
A recent freak is for pretty little articles
in silver with humorous or affectionate mot
ato koA tha natal rhara dO1-
ems, perhaps hundreds, Of such objects, and
artists are constantly at work suggesting
new designs to be applied to other articles.
1t would be hard to name any trifiing OBJ
ject of daily use that has not thus been
made a luxury.
Here is coffee pot holding, perhaps, three
pints. 1t is repUusse work. The whole
surface is hammered into forms of leaf and
blossom. All this work is done by the pa
tient toll of an artist, artisan, under the
guidance of designer who knows just what
can and cannot be done with the malleable
metals. You would think that the blossoms
in silver had been cast and then affixed to
the body Of the vessel, but all was wrought
by steady hammering up n solid metal. 1t
took the workman probably six mon tbs to
turn out this piece. The price is 81 800. II
any ore had the temerty to order whole
dinner service of such ware the price might
easily be $4,000 or $4,000. Here is a
smaller pot OF the same ware Chrysanthe
NUNS, beautifully wrought, crowd the
whole surface. 1t cost enough to purchase
poor mans house.
In these it is the delicate handiwork that
makes the price so high. There is a great
silver punch bowl containing ten times as
much silver as either pot, but the prica is
only ST. 800. Punch b wis, by the wav, are
not so popular now as they were with our
ancestors, though they are still manufac-
marked 81, 600. When a rich New Yorker
has a mind to indulge in an expensive bit of
tableware be does not buy 81, 900 punch
bowl Perhaps he pays twice as much for
repousse tea set. 1t is not long since two
gold trays were bought at $4,000 each.
Here is a tete-a-tete tea set--just little
teapot, a cream pitcher and bowl. The
price is 81 500. a good many Of the kind
are sold. If you would be just right, you
may buy enameled silver spoons at 5000
dozen. OF fish knives at 500 dozen, or
tiny silver cups for efter-dinner coffee at
$50 each. One rich New Yorker serves ter
rapin to his friends in silver tureens made in
exact imitation of the terrapi . You lift
the silver shell that serves as lid, and there
is the steaming delicacy. Gold spoons with
round bowls accompany the tureens. Such
service costs hardly less than 81 200. IL
is used only for serving terrapin.
Designs for all these things are studied
from nature. An aquarium furnishes liv-
ing specimens of reptiles, fish aud water
plants, and blooming natural flowers con-
stanty guide the artist in his work.
One of the oldest objects is a loving cup
decorated in the style of native Indian art.
The body of the cup represents a gourd.
The handles are shaped like the horns of a
buffalo; the feet represent the head and
forelegs OF the same animal. The bowl is
perfectly smooth, save for designs in relief
AA T,,ls 4 \. r
copper and enamel. Nothing of the kind
was ever made before
American work in enameed silver pre-
sents an interesting contrast to Russian
ware OF this sort. The Russians have been
doing work of the kind for many years, but
the effect is crude and bizarre. The whole
surface glitters with half dozen colors,
and fire gliding gives the impression of a
glaze. American enameled silver is rich and
quiet in design, without glare or glitter. 1t
far exceeds the Russian in cost Half a
dozen little coffee cups, saucers and spoons
in American enameled silver are marked
$500 Even the extravaganza of American
millionaires hats at such articles as these
Nobody buys full dinner set of such ware
1t is best seen in small pieces. Accordin gly
you find little liquor cups, holding three
thimblefuls, at $l2 10 SIS each. Sometimes
native pearls are set in the silver. Often a
little teapot OF such ware Is marked 8, 000
II you order such things made from your
own special designs, the price is higher
This is not unusual. The country is full of
people who do not know what to do with
their wealth, and for them the silversmith
sets his wits working to invent costly trif1es
Told service is as yet confined chiefly to
royalty, but gilded silver is much used for
desserts. IL is cost!ier than silver, but hardly
80 handsome. Mere costumes, however,
nno longer a recommendation to the buyer
OF American silverware. Buyers have been
educated to expect artistic work. Hence
ihe neglect of mere curios, such as the we'll
Known Russian ware, that gives you a we'll
executed damask napkin in silver, folded
across cake basket or a tray. The work is
marvellous Ia its way. The silver has almost
Tue wilderness of damask, and the surface
deceptive even to the touch. The Rus
Sains d. such work RS no other people can.
~ involves great pains and vast amount
Of hand labor. There was time when
lcn Americans, going abroad, were sure to
WSrlng back specimen Of this odd ware.
vow II sells for tenth the price of home
made repousse work.