Gorham Rare Antique Sterling Silver Shoe Horn, Providence, RI, 1884

This wonderful shoehorn has an irregularly shaped handle. It is formed as an overlapping leaf (sort of); however, the decoration is very different. It is chased with areas that resemble sand and other areas resembling rocks. It is reminiscent of tree bark or a dried-out piece of leather. It is a stunning item. The cutout at the top of the handle is for a ribbon to hang the shoe horn.

According to the costing slip from the Gorham Archives at the John Hay Library, Brown University, the number '20' shoe horn had a net manufacturing cost of $13.50, which is a fairly expensive item in 1884.

Provenance: Private Collection.

This rare antique is marked with Gorham's trademark, 'STERLING/ 20' and the 'Q' 1884 date mark. It measures 9.75 inches long, weighs 3.70 troy ounces, and is in excellent antique condition(new ribbon).