With fluid art nouveau lines, this fork has a wonderful planished surface that highlights the naturalistic design. Organic foliate decoration,  possibly representing kelp, encompasses the handle and flows onto the tines. The back of the handle is decorated in a similar
manner.
The Martelé line of silver was the finest art nouveau silver made in America. Individually designed and executed, each piece is a unique work of art. Every piece was
handmade - no machines were used in Martelé production. It is even made of higher grade silver than sterling (.925): Britannia silver used in Martelé is .9584 silver and more expensive than sterling.
Of all forms made in Martelé, flatware in the rarest. The higher grade of silver was softer and made Martelé less suitable for flatware. Very little was ever made. Even
less survives today.
According to Larry Pristo in Martelé Silver, this serving fork was hand formed for 3 hours and 50 minutes and then the decoration was hand chased for 5 hours by George Sauthoff.
Of German birth, Sauthoff worked at Tiffany & Co. and then went to Gorham in 1884 where he remained until his retirement in 1927. He was one of Gorham's most
accomplished artisans working on some of the finest pieces Gorham produced - including many exhibition pieces.
Sauthoff was so skilled that he earned the second highest of the chasers' salaries, $32.00 per week. His obituary reads: 'His exceptional ability as a silver chaser
was soon recognized and he was entrusted to execute some of the finest masterpieces in silver repoussé. He was also a master in steel work, cutting dies and rolls
for many of the beautiful borders used at the company today'. 1
Provenance: Mary Gayley married Count Giulio Senni of Rome November 16, 1907. By descent through the family.
This rare Martelé serving fork is marked with Gorham's Martelé trademark, '.9584', and the special order code 'I/AL'. It is monogrammed in an artistic cursive style
'MG'. Measuring 8.5 inches long, it weighs 7.55 troy ounces and is in very good/ excellent antique condition.
Our Price: SOLD
Item code: F940
Endnote:
1. Samuel J. Hough, 'The House of Lords: The Chasers of Martelé Silver' in John Webster Keefe and Samuel Hough, Magnificent Marvelous Martelé American Art
Nouveau Silver: The Jolie and Robert Shelton Collection, (2001; New Orleans: New Orleans Museum of Art), p. 23-24.
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