Sterling Gorham Hand-Hammered Martini Shaker
View Similar Items
Sterling Gorham Hand-Hammered Martini Shaker
About the Item
- Creator:Gorham Manufacturing Company (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 10 in (25.4 cm)Width: 4 in (10.16 cm)Depth: 4 in (10.16 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:1910-1919
- Date of Manufacture:1917
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Bridport, CT
- Reference Number:Seller: Leonce1stDibs: LU90116824393
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.
- Art Deco Hand-Hammered Sterling Silver Cocktail Shaker by GorhamBy GorhamLocated in New York, NYThis brilliant Art Deco Hand-Hammered Sterling Silver Cocktail Shaker is by Gorham and originates from the United States, Circa 1925. Feautures hand-hammered textural detailing throu...Category
Vintage 1920s American Art Deco Barware
MaterialsSterling Silver
- 'Artillery Shell' Cocktail Shaker Sets by Gorham, USABy Gorham Manufacturing CompanyLocated in London, GBGorham, USA A complete pair of 'Artillery Shell' cocktail shakers by American maker Gorham, in copper, brass and silver plate, made to resemble 18lb artillery shells. The top section is the cocktail shaker, with pull-off cap for filling with an integral strainer. The heavy base in polished brass, and houses a pull-out silver-plated framework for four clear glass shot glasses...Category
Early 20th Century American Other Barware
MaterialsCopper, Brass, Silver Plate
$17,831 Sale Price / set20% Off - Grape by Georg Jensen Sterling Silver Martini Shaker Marked #462BBy Georg JensenLocated in Big Bend, WIGeorg Jensen Superb Grape by Georg Jensen sterling silver martini shaker marked #462B. It measures 12 1/2" x 5" and weighs 30.2 ozt. It is not...Category
20th Century Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Mid-Century Modern Reed & Barton Sterling Silver Mini Martini ShakerBy Reed & BartonLocated in Miami Beach, FLFabulous Reed & Barton sterling mini martini shaker for making an individual martini. A tapered cylinder design with removable lift-up dome lid, pronounced spout with stopper on chai...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Antique Gorham Edwardian Sterling Silver & Crystal DecanterBy Gorham Manufacturing CompanyLocated in New York, NYEdwardian crystal decanter with sterling silver stopper. Made by Gorham in Providence in 1897. Bell-form bowl with baluster neck, U-form spout, and c...Category
Antique 1890s North American Edwardian Sterling Silver
MaterialsCrystal, Sterling Silver
- Antique Gorham Sterling Olive Bowl and TongsBy Gorham Manufacturing CompanyLocated in Litchfield, CTCirca 1884, sterling, Gorham. This unequivocally charming serving piece embodies the relaxed refinement of the Victorian era. Complete with tongs, this rare example of a figural Gorham olive dish...Category
Antique 1880s American Aesthetic Movement Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver