posted 07-27-2006 10:49 PM            

I have a silver tea & coffee service that I am told was made by the Edward Ball Company. The Tea pot and Coffee pot both have the initials EB in a circle, but the sugar bowl, creamer and waste bowl have a silhouette inside an oval as teh mark. They are all marked with pattern number E150 and the word STERLING. I am looking for info on the company and possible dating of the pieces. I've included photos below.

posted 07-28-2006 11:24 AM            

This pattern of Edward Ball, E150, is listed on the big online silver/china replacement service showing a pic of this lovely tea & coffee service. Hmmm...their pic of the full service is a cropped pic of the one you posted here. Did you supply the pic to the replacement service?

Here is what Rainwater, p. 21, has to say about the company. The Edward Ball Co. was located in NY, NY, were manufactuerers of sterling silverware, and listed in JKD 1918-19 as silversmiths.

--- Susan

posted 07-28-2006 12:16 PM            

With time you'll learn to recognize distinct styles in silver design which will assist you in identifying approximate eras of production. The style of this tea set is very typical for the early 20th century. See for example, Gorham's Plymouth pattern, ca. 1911. This colonially inspired style features clean lines and lots of plain undecorated surfaces. This design trend immediately follows the Art Nouveau fashions of the turn of the century which featured intense decoration, often floral, with sweeping and flowing lines. Sometime into the early- to mid-20th century, Art Deco designs characterized by often geometric and architecturally inspired elements become more common.

These are just very generalized descriptions, and often the dominant styles would overlap and run concurrently. But you'll find that knowing these styles and recognizing their eras of popularity will help you greatly when you come across pieces which don't otherwise immediately identify themselves.

posted 07-28-2006 03:56 PM            

Does anyone have an idea of what the silohuette inside an oval mark stands for?

I also have a complete 8 place setting, set of Gorham sterling flatware in the Camellia pattern that was a wedding gift to my parents in 1947. It is engraved with a T.

posted 07-29-2006 02:04 AM            

Gorham has used year markings on its holloware since 1868. The hourglass is for 1901.
Gorham Marks & Date Codes

Sorry, I can't help you on the silhouette in the oval because the pic is too small for these old eyes. Scanning a mark creates a cleared and enlarged pic.

--- Susan

posted 07-29-2006 09:28 AM            

I would think that the sugar bowl, creamer, and waste bowl were produced by the Mount Vernon Company (1903-1913 = stylistically consistent for the time period). The set appears to be assembled. The coffeepot and teapot are made perhaps by Edward Ball Co., the tray by Gorham, and the other pieces by Mount Vernon.

posted 07-30-2006 12:21 PM            

I'm not entirely comfortable with my suppositions without actually handling and inspecting the pieces myself, but here they are nonetheless.

In any event, the bottom-most image you provide, of the underside of one of the oval-cameo-stamped pieces, does not appear to display the E150 mark. Is it hidden by the reflective glare or in the unshown lower-most or right-most sections of the base?

posted 08-01-2006 11:29 PM            

While Rainwater is very good at telling us about who made what, she did tend to fall down in explaining how companies actually sold things. My guess would be that the matched E150 points to a joint marketing venture of some sort. Which was not a crazy thing for smaller manufacturers to do: join with other small makers to offer a wide line of silver. Thus one company would make pots another the accompaning pieces. Usually trays fall to a larger, more established maker as they are prone to problems.