Antique Gorham Sterling Silver Jewelry Box
View Similar Items
Antique Gorham Sterling Silver Jewelry Box
About the Item
- Creator:Shreve, Crump & Low (Retailer),Gorham Manufacturing Company (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 3.38 in (8.59 cm)Width: 7 in (17.78 cm)Depth: 5.25 in (13.34 cm)
- Style:Art Nouveau (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1890
- Condition:
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:Seller: BM5181stDibs: LU89804820093
Gorham Manufacturing Company
For nearly 160 years, the Gorham Manufacturing Company turned out a wide range of beautiful silver flatware, tea sets, serving bowls and other silver pieces, indelibly influencing the field of decorative arts in ways that still resonate.
When silversmiths Jabez Gorham and Henry Webster started making coin silver teaspoons and jewelry out of a small workshop in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1831, the pair likely had no idea that their modest operation would one day become the largest silver manufacturer in the world.
While some name changes and personnel shifts preceded the foundry officially being established as Gorham Manufacturing Company decades later, growth of the business between its early days and the mid–19th century can largely be attributed to the work of Jabez’s son John, who assumed control of Gorham in the 1840s.
John Gorham introduced steam power at the manufactory. He entered into a partnership with Michael Gibney, the first American silversmith to register a design patent for a flatware pattern. Gorham wanted to expand the business, seeking to produce forks and spoons adorned with decorative flourishes adapted from British patterns. The company hammered out the silver flatware, which it sent to Gibney in New York to apply decorative patterns before returning to Gorham. Consequently, Gorham found Gibney’s work unsatisfactory, and he purchased his own rolling press to do the work himself.
The partnership between John and Michael soured but the company thrived. Sales grew to more than $20,000 per year, and the staff of silversmiths expanded. To keep up with demand, Gorham had to retire its horse-powered rolling press and import a steam-powered drop press from England — the first used in the United States. Designs created at Gorham drew on natural-world motifs as well as artistic traditions from all over the world — alongside its tableware, the company would soon be producing cups and pitchers adorned with polar bears and forest creatures, while tea services and other serving pieces were crafted in a range of styles that included Art Nouveau, Egyptian Revival and Rococo.
Around 1860, Gorham delved into bronze casting. When it opened a division dedicated to bronze work, Gorham collaborated with sculptors such as Daniel Chester French, Anna Hyatt Huntington and Alexander P. Proctor.
By the 1920s, Gorham had employed thousands of workers and had partnered with Danish modernist silversmith Erik Magnussen. However, the Great Depression ground production to a halt. The company was sold to Textron, Inc. in the late 1960s and it changed hands several times before it sold to Department 56 in 2005.
Today, the work of Gorham Manufacturing Company continues to be exhibited in galleries and museums. The RISD Museum in Providence houses a collection of nearly 5,000 works.
On 1stDibs, find a range of antique Gorham Manufacturing Company serveware and decorative objects.
- Antique Gorham Edwardian Regency Box for Jewelry and KeepsakesBy Gorham Manufacturing CompanyLocated in New York, NYEdwardian Regency sterling silver box. Made by Gorham in Providence in 1917. Square with straight sides. Cover hinged with gently curved top and scrolled top. Allover engine-turned w...Category
Vintage 1910s American Regency Revival Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Antique Gorham Edwardian Regency Sterling Silver Platter TrayBy Shreve, Crump & Low, Gorham Manufacturing CompanyLocated in New York, NYEdwardian Regency sterling silver platter tray. Made by Gorham in Providence in 1915. Oval well with paneled curvilinear shoulder and reeded r...Category
Vintage 1910s American Edwardian Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- American Edwardian Regency Sterling Silver Jewelry Box with CherubsBy William B. DurginLocated in New York, NYEdwardian Regency sterling silver jewelry box. Made by William B. Durgin in Concord, ca 1910. Rectangular with straight sides and hinged drop-front. Cover hinged and flat. On sides, ...Category
Early 20th Century American Regency Revival Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Antique English Art Deco Sterling Silver BoxBy Robert Pringle & SonsLocated in New York, NYGeorge VI sterling silver box. Made by Robert Pringle & Sons in London in 1939. Rectangular with curved corners. Cover hinged and tabbed; top has engine-turned wave ornament and rect...Category
Vintage 1930s English Art Deco Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Antique Gorham Zodiac Sterling Silver 3-Piece Baby SetBy Gorham Manufacturing CompanyLocated in New York, NYZodiac sterling silver 3-piece baby set. Made by Gorham in Providence in 1915. This set comprises mug, bowl, and plate. Cup: Straight sides, short inset foot,...Category
Vintage 1910s American Art Nouveau Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Large Antique English Art Deco Sterling Silver Cigar BoxBy Edward Barnard & SonsLocated in New York, NYGeorge V sterling silver cigar box. Made by Barnard & Sons, Ltd in London in 1930. Rectangular with straight sides. Cover hinged and with tapering tab; top flap with engine-turned li...Category
Vintage 1930s English Art Deco Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Gorham 1919 Hand Hammered Sterling Silver Jewelry Box in Crescent ShapeBy GorhamLocated in New York, NYHand hammered crescent shape sterling silver jewelry box made by Gorham in 1919. It has a removable maroon velvet lining which separates the case into six compartments. The lid has b...Category
Vintage 1910s American Art Deco Sterling Silver
MaterialsSilver, Sterling Silver
- Novelty Antique English Sterling Silver Jewelry Box, 1921By A&J Zimmerman Ltd.Located in Bath, GBA wonderfully handsome and unusual jewelry box in the form of a bow fronted drawers on legs or a dressing table with two solid silver knobs to the fron...Category
Vintage 1920s English Art Deco Jewelry Boxes
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Antique Sterling Silver Cigar BoxLocated in Braintree, GBAntique sterling silver cigar box Wood interior. Maker: Unknown (maker mark faded) Made in England, Birmingham, 1912 Fully hallmarked. ...Category
Vintage 1910s British Art Nouveau Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Vintage 1993 Sterling Silver Jewelry BoxLocated in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon TyneAn exceptional, fine and impressive vintage Elizabeth II English sterling silver jewelry box; an addition to the ornamental silverware collection. This exceptional vintage sterling silver jewelry box...Category
1990s British Jewelry Boxes
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Sterling Silver Jewelry Box by S J Rose & SonBy S.J. Rose & SonLocated in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon TyneA fine and impressive antique Edward VIII English sterling silver jewelry box; an addition to our ornamental silverware collection This fine antique Edward VIII sterling silver jewelry box has a rectangular form with plain rounded corners. The surface of the jewelry box is embellished with fine and impressive panels of engine turned decoration. This antique silver jewelry box...Category
Vintage 1930s English Other Boxes
MaterialsSilver, Sterling Silver
- Antique Round Birks Sterling Silver Footed Jewelry & Ring or Trinket BoxBy Henry Birks & SonLocated in Hamilton, OntarioThis jewelry and ring or tricket box was made by and unknown English maker and retailed by Birks. The box dates to approximately 1920 and is done in a Victorian style. This ring box ...Category
Early 20th Century English Victorian Jewelry Boxes
MaterialsSterling Silver
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The Original American Silver-Making Company Is Back in the Spotlight
A new show at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, in Providence, reveals why the various and sundry creations of the Gorham Manufacturing Company still shine.
Experts Talk Engagement Ring Trends and Shopping Tips
Ready to rock? Some of our favorite jewelry designers and dealers share indispensable advice for choosing that most important ring.