Gorham Japanesque Antique Parcel Gilt Butter Pats - set of 6, Providence, RI, 1880

Stunningly beautiful, these aesthetic movement butter pats represent Gorham's leadership in American design. Each individually designed and crafted piece is an achievement in Japanese style art.

Nearly identical to the butter pats from one of Gorham's supreme achievements, the Furber Service (now at the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design), these butter pats are 'the pinnacle of the form,' according to Charles Venable in Silver in America (p. 337, also see pp. 128-9), where he discusses the service. (Also see Gorham Silver by Charles Carpenter for more information on the Furber service. In the original edition, color plate 1 is devoted to these butter pats.)

Each butter pat is individually hand decorated with a combination of chasing, engraving and parcel gilding with two tones of gold on many. Some have partly matted or hammered finishes to contrast with the chased decoration.

On the back they are inscribed 'Holmes' in a foliate script and are marked lion-anchor-G/ STERLING/ 40/ M (the date mark for 1880). They measure 3 inches square and are in exceptional condition.

Provenance: These came from one of the finest private collections of American aesthetic movement silver.

(A similar set of six matched pats were part of the Wagstaff collection that sold at Christie's 20 Jan. 1989 for $9,900.00.)