The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1889-05-22
COSTLY SILYERWARE.
FORTUNES SPENT IN TIE BEAUTl-
Full DESIGNS MADE TODAY.

No Longer Necessary to Go Abroad for
/ Artistic Silverware-Rich and Quiet I'm
Figure and work-Prices Paid for Some
of the Pretty Things.
Never before has American silyerware oc-
cupied the position it does today. It is I'M
equaled the world over. Twenty years ago
rich Americans bought great ugly pieces
abroad, and treasured them as marvels of
the silversmith's art. Now the American
who wishes to furnish his sideboard with the
richest decorated ware buys at home, and
silver of American workmanship Is used in
dozens of noble, and not few royal, homes
o. Europe. Prices are sometimes enormous.
Dinner sets at S. 000 So 600, IS, 900 and $4,000
are not unusual A pair of candelabra, about
twenty inches high, may cost from $500
to 81 900. This particular article is much In
demand now by reason of the increased use
of candles for lighting dinner tables and can
delabra at these pricea-havasn con~tsset ~sls.s
The rage for enriching articles of common
use withs silver has reached probably its
| greatest height. Silver toilet articles are
among those most in demand Here Is a
| hairbruSh, the bristles set in solid silver
The whole surface is incrusted with an intri-
cate ornamental design. The price is S75.
You may buy them at $50, $40 $50, $780,
Whole SETS including the brush and half
dozen small objects, sell for $500 Tor $500 These
are by no means the most expensive Rich
people who put years moderate income into
triaes such rs these have sets made TO order
from special designs, at $4,000 $500 and
$1,000. 1t would be hard to hamo a limit for
the price of objects in silver since the art Of
decorating that metal has been brought to its
present perfection
COST OF A DINNER SET.
A recent freak is for pretty little articles
In silver with humorous or affectionate mot
toes etched upon the metal. There are doz-
ems, perhaps hundreds OF such objects, and
artists are constantly at work suggesting new
designs to be applied to other articles. It
would be hard to name any trifing object of
daily use that has not thus been made a luxury
Here is coffee pot holding, perhaps three
pints 1t is repousse work. The whole sur
face Is hammered into forms of leaf and bios.
som. All this work is done by the patient
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 upon solid metal. 1t took tho
workman probably six months to turn out
this piece. The price is 81 800. II any one
had the temerity to order a whole dinner
service of such ware the price might easily
be $4,000 or $4,000 Hero is a smaller pot
of the same ware. Chrysanthemums beau-
tifully wrought, crowd the whole surface: 1t
cost enough TO purchase a poor mans home.
In these it is the delicate handiwork that
makes the price so high. There Is great
silver punch bowl containing ten times as
much silver as either pot, but tho price is only
81 800. Punch bowls, by the way, are not 10
popular now as they were with our ancestors,
though they are still manufactured. The
largest one have seen was marked $4,000
When rich New Yorker has mind to In
dulge in an expensive bit OF table ware he
does not buy $4,000 punch bowl Perhaps
he pays twice as much for a 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, cream pitcher
and bowl. The price is 81 800. "A good
many of tho kind are sold. II you would
be just right, you may buy enameled silver
spoons at $500 dozen, or fish knives at 500
dozen, or tiny silver cups for after dinner cof
fee at $50 each. One rich New Yorker serves
terrapin to his friends in silver tureens made
In exact imitation Of the tarrapin. You lift
the silver shell that serves as lid and there IL
the steamng delicacy Gold spoons with
round bowls accompany the tureens. Such
service costs hardly less than 81 200 It u
used only for serving terrapin.
Designs for all these things are studied
from nature. Anaquarium furnishes living
specimens of reptiles, fish and water plants,
and blooming natural flowers constantly
guide the artist in his work.
One of the oldest objects Is 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 buff
falo; the feet represent the head and forelegs
of the same animal. The bowl Is perfectly
smooth, save for designs in relief Of Indian
dances and curious streaks OF copper and Gu
amel. Nothing of the kind was ever made
before.
SUPERIOR TO THE RUSSIAN ARTICLR
American work in enameled silver presents
an interesting contrast 20 Russian ware of
this sort The Russians have been doing work
of the kind for many years, but the OBJECT IL
crude and bizarre. The whole surface glitters
with half dozen colors, and fire gliding gives
the impression Of glaze. American enam-
eled silver is rich and quiet in design, without
glare or glitter. 1t far exceeds the Russian
In cost. Half dozen little coffee cups, saucors
and spoons in American enameled silver arc
marked $500 Even the extravaganza Of
American millionaires halts at such articles
as these. Nobody buys full dinner set OF
such ware. 1t is best seen in small pieces
Accordingly you find little llqueur cups hold
ing three thimblefuls, at $i2 or SIS each
Sometimes native pearls are set in the silver.
Often little teapot of such ware Is marked
900 II you order such things made from
your own special designs, the price Is higher
This is not unusual.
Tho 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 tri1es, Gold service Is as yet
confined chiefly to royalty, but gilded silver
is much used for desserts. 1t is costlier than
silver, but hardly so Landscape Mere costli-
nels however, is no longer Recommendation
to the buyer Of American silverware Buy
ers have been educated to expect artistic
work Hence the neglect ofmere curios such
as the well Known Russian ware, that gives
you II well executed damask napkin in silver,
folded across a cake basket or a tray. The
work is marvellous in its way. The silver has
almost the whiteness of damask, and tho sur
face Is deceptive even to the touch. The
Russians do such work as no other people
can. 1t involves great pains and vast
amount of hand labor There was u time when
rich Americans, going abroad, were sure to
bring back specimen of this odd ware.
Now 1t sells for tenth the price OF home.
made repousse work.-New York Star