Pair of Antique American Sterling Silver Swans by Gorham
View Similar Items
Pair of Antique American Sterling Silver Swans by Gorham
About the Item
- Creator:Gorham Manufacturing Company (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 6.5 in (16.51 cm)Width: 8.25 in (20.96 cm)Depth: 4.5 in (11.43 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Edwardian (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1927
- Condition:
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:Seller: BQ5381stDibs: LU898012270501
Gorham Manufacturing Company
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.
- Large American Sterling Silver Scallop Shell Bowl by GorhamBy Gorham Manufacturing CompanyLocated in New York, NYLarge sterling silver scallop shell bowl. Made by Gorham in Providence in 1941. Elongated form and dynamic flutes. Rests on 2 balls. Fully marked ...Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Antique Gorham Sterling Silver Baby Cereal Bowl on PlateBy J.E. Caldwell & Co., Gorham Manufacturing CompanyLocated in New York, NYEdwardian sterling silver baby bowl on plate. Made by Gorham in Providence in 1911. Bowl has curved and tapering sides. Plate has well and wide should...Category
Vintage 1910s American Edwardian Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Antique Gorham Sterling Silver 3-Piece Mother Goose Baby SetBy Gorham Manufacturing Company, Bailey, Banks & BiddleLocated in New York, NYTurn-of-the-century Edwardian sterling silver baby set. Made by Gorham in Providence. This set comprises cup, bowl, and plate. Cup has scroll bracket handle, raised and stepped foot, and gilt interior. Bowl has same foot. Plate has deep well. Acid-etched scenes depicting scenes from Mother Goose, including Old King Cole being presented with his Bowl, Little Bo Peep...Category
Early 20th Century American Edwardian Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Antique Gorham Victorian Aesthetic Sterling Silver Christening MugBy Gorham Manufacturing CompanyLocated in New York, NYVictorian Aesthetic sterling silver christening mug. Made by Gorham in Providence in 1894. Straight sides with gently curved base. Curvilinear frame with zigzag and wavy borders betw...Category
Antique 1890s American Aesthetic Movement Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Antique Gorham Craftsman Hand Hammered Sterling Silver PorringerBy Gorham Manufacturing CompanyLocated in New York, NYCraftsman sterling silver porringer. Made by Gorham in Providence, ca 1910. Traditional form. Unusual open geometric handle. Allover spot hammering. ...Category
Early 20th Century American American Craftsman 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
- Neoclassical Sterling Silver Child's Cup/Mug by GorhamBy Gorham Manufacturing CompanyLocated in New York, NYNeoclassical, sterling silver child's mug/cup, Gorham Mfg. Co, Providence, Rhode Island, circa 1860. Handle is decorated with a neoclassical woman's head. Interior is lightly gilded....Category
Antique 1860s American Neoclassical Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Neoclassical Style, Victorian Period Sterling Silver Tazza by GorhamBy Gorham Manufacturing CompanyLocated in New York, NYNeoclassical style, Victorian period, sterling silver tazza, Gorham Manufacturing Co., Providence, Rhode Island, year hallmarked for 1901. Decorated with grapes and mythological face...Category
Antique Early 1900s American Neoclassical Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Antique American Sterling Silver Christening MugBy John CurryLocated in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon TyneA fine and interesting antique American sterling silver christening mug; an addition to our christening silverware collection. This fine anti...Category
Antique 1830s American Sterling Silver
MaterialsSilver, Sterling Silver
- Antique American Sterling Silver Bowl Gorham Manufacturing CompanyBy Gorham Manufacturing CompanyLocated in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon TyneAn exceptional, fine and impressive antique American sterling silver bowl made by Gorham Manufacturing Company; an addition to AC Silver's dining silverware ...Category
Antique 1880s American Serving Bowls
MaterialsSilver, Sterling Silver
- Antique Victorian Pair of Sterling Silver Fish Servers by William Hutton & SonsBy William Hutton & Sons, Edward HuttonLocated in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon TyneAn exceptional, fine and impressive pair of antique Victorian English sterling silver fish servers - boxed; an addition to our silver flatware collection This exceptional pair of antique Victorian boxed silver fish servers, in sterling standard, consists of a serving knife and fork. The blade of the knife and the drop of the fork have an incurved shaped form. The anterior of the knife is embellished with a bright cut engraved band of leaf ornamentation paralleling the shaped side of the blade, accented with a suspended floral festoon and fabric swag designs. The drop of the fork is ornamented with further bright cut engraved floral festoon designs extending from a wrigglework decorated border to the lower portion of the four tines. The posterior surface of each shaped blade is plain and embellished with a paralleling scalloped border to the incurved edge. These antique fish servers...Category
Antique 19th Century English Victorian Sterling Silver
MaterialsSilver, Sterling Silver
- Pair of Sterling Silver Swan Decorative Bowls Signed Gorham SterlingBy Durgin-Gorham 1Located in New York, NYThis beautiful pair of Art Deco Sterling silver swan decorative bowls were executed by the legendary American silver maker, Gorham circa 1920. They feature elegantly streamlined demi...Category
Vintage 1920s American Art Deco Decorative Bowls
MaterialsSterling Silver