posted 03-21-2008 02:41 PM            

Article continued from Shiebler's Floral Flatware, Part 1: Flora - post 2 of 7(click here)

Pieces are occasionally found with the handle background cut out, and sometimes with the margins of the design cut away as well. Examples involving motif nos. and 6 are shown in Figure 5 (see below). Not illustrated is a paté knife (?) with motif no. 6 with both of these features.(14)

The shape of each handle varies with the particular motif (except variations). This is easily appreciated among the details in Figure 1. The handle length within a given piece type may vary slightly with the motif (see teaspoons in Table 1). This diversity in shape and decoration follows a model in Japanese ceramics called, paradoxically, "matching." 1 In this aesthetic context, matching refers to a combination of designs (among a group of objects) that, at least to the Western observer, do not seem to go together. This decorative ploy was first used in American flatware in Gorham's Japanese pattern (introduced 1871).(16)

Turner reported that Flora is limited to spoons,(17) but our tables and illustrations indicate otherwise. On their website, Replacements, Ltd. lists a huge number of piece types under Flora.(18) This listing includes piece types known to be made by Shiebler in general and has not been tailored specifically to Flora.(19) The only items the firm has actually seen in Flora are accompanied by photographs, and most of these have a designated handle motif.

Unfortunately, few dealers other than Replacements, Ltd. have kept a permanent record of encountered Flora piece types by handle motif or vice versa. Our Table 1 of piece types by handle motif/variation and Table 2 of handle motifs/variations by piece type are the first published attempts to organize all known Flora pieces in this manner. With few exceptions, entries in these tables are based on pieces or photographs that we have actually observed. We include an asparagus fork with a variation of motif no. 1 (Primrose with an "added leaf"), reported by Diana Cramer, (20) that we have not seen. Also included is a small ladle (for mustard?) only partially illustrated in The Book of Silver. (21)

Article continues in Shiebler's Floral Flatware, Part 1: Flora - post 4 of 7(click here)

Fig. 4. Shiebler's Flora flatware. Details of the Pond-lily motif (no. 9) (left) with a fern-like background pattern and two of its variations: 9a (center) with a wave-pattern background and 9b (right) with a conventional basket-weave background. Reproduced with permission from S. and J. Martin, The Book of Silver: Flatware Silver Marks & Patterns (New York: SM Publications, 1999), Section 99.F, Flora, 8.


Fig. 5. Shiebler's Flora flatware. Right: teaspoon with the background of the handle motif design (no. 2) cut out. Left: olive/pickle fork (?) with the background of the handle motif design (no. 6) partially cut out and the margins cut away.

Article continues in Shiebler's Floral Flatware, Part 1: Flora - post 4 of 7(click here)