Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-14
CHOOSE A NTIQU Els
SOMETHING OLD FOR A BRIDAL
GIFT.
Whether You Select House.
hold Fixings or
Jewelry.

The June bride may have her pathway
to the church door strewn with fresh flow
ers, but her gift table will bear the stamp
of rare age.
Never in the history of the trade has
there been such a demand for antiques as
wedding gifts.
In New York city there are four solid
blocks Of shops near the citys center, popu-
larly known as Antique avenue" and to
these shops are coming orders from all
over the United States for wedding gifts
OF old silver. Some Of the orders come
from private customers, but more from
dealers in other cities flooded by orders
which they are not prepared to I'LL, for the
fashion In antiques changes with all the
suddenness Of the proverbial winds.
The gift pre-eminent is piece of genuine
Shefheld plate, which means that the plat
ing Is done over copper, and the bowl or
Lining Is Of glass in such colors as modern
blowers cannot reproduce.
The Sheffield silver. dates as far back as
1913, its age and genuineness being deter
mined by the hall mark, placed thereon by
the English government, and which is not
in evidence in a spurious piece of work
For a Chicago bride there was recently
purchased at g. fabulous price a gravy boat
in Sheffield silver of 1893 date, measuring
six inches long. which has beak and ham
die so peculiarly shaped that the whole
piece suggests swan In miniature. The
whole is marvelously chased and hammer
ed, but BACK with age.
Tankards and cOmpotes In this ware are
superb examples of repousse work, and
the glass bowls which fit into them are
in colors that defy description or imitation
They ara best described as rich cathedral
tones of crimson, blue and yellow or orange,
always suggesting sunlight fltering through
them.
A Sheffield Piece.
For sum as low as $1s there may be
purchased a tiny bit of Sheffield, known
as the jeweled church urn. 1t is no higher
than three inches, but the work is perfect
and the jeweling admirable One of the
largest pieces on sale is a silver platter as
big as small serving table. done in fill
gree and repousse, with heavy, plain COW
er. oval shaped.
Silver necklaces of various periods and
lands are also in demand, and they, too,
are black with age and defy modern clean
ing appliances. The necklace must be fiat,
in the form of links set at intervals of
three or four with old-fashioned Jewels,
topaz, emeralds, sapphires and rubies.
In ceramics, blue crockery, either old
English or delft, Is in favor. But the piece
and a single piece Is the correct gift
must be distinctly quaint in shape and dull
in tint. A crack, yellow with age, is not
considered a great drawback, but rather
stamps the dish with age and service.
meat platters, which look as IL they were
intended for serving a baron and his retain
ers In the center is deep hollow for the
roast or the steak. while In the big seal
lops on either end Is ample room for a sup
ply of chops.
Next come the candlesticks, as high as
the ordinary woman's heart. with candles
two inches in diameter, towering high
above her head A pair of these make a
gift. and they are intended to stand guard
at either side of rooms entrance.
quaint center piece is a dish which
might be intended for birthday cake. In
its center is hole for the candle to sink,
with dish below to catch the sperm az 1t
melts Tiny candlesticks with standards,
for all the world like cake ornaments, come
for desks or curio cabinets.
In mirrors the demand is for Florentine
frames, which shoot out two feet or more
like centipedes- For hanging these there
come old gold cord and tassels, dull with
age. Old furniture is not greatly in de-
mand for wedding gifts. though there Is a
brisk trade in colonial furnishings of all
sorts.