Gorham Mid-Century Modern Sterling Silver Ice Tongs
View Similar Items
Gorham Mid-Century Modern Sterling Silver Ice Tongs
About the Item
- Creator:Gorham Manufacturing Company (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 6.25 in (15.88 cm)Width: 1.5 in (3.81 cm)Depth: 0.13 in (3.31 mm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Mid-20th Century
- Condition:Extra taut.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:Seller: BV5821stDibs: LU898025245902
Gorham Manufacturing Company
When silversmiths Jabez Gorham and Henry Webster started making coin silver teaspoons and jewelry out of a small workshop in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1831, the pair likely had no idea that their modest operation would one day become the largest silver manufacturer in the world.
While some name changes and personnel shifts preceded the foundry officially being established as Gorham Manufacturing Company decades later, growth of the business between its early days and the mid–19th century can largely be attributed to the work of Jabez’s son John, who assumed control of Gorham in the 1840s.
John Gorham introduced steam power at the manufactory. He entered into a partnership with Michael Gibney, the first American silversmith to register a design patent for a flatware pattern. Gorham wanted to expand the business, seeking to produce forks and spoons adorned with decorative flourishes adapted from British patterns. The company hammered out the silver flatware, which it sent to Gibney in New York to apply decorative patterns before returning to Gorham. Consequently, Gorham found Gibney’s work unsatisfactory, and he purchased his own rolling press to do the work himself.
The partnership between John and Michael soured but the company thrived. Sales grew to more than $20,000 per year, and the staff of silversmiths expanded. To keep up with demand, Gorham had to retire its horse-powered rolling press and import a steam-powered drop press from England — the first used in the United States. Designs created at Gorham drew on natural-world motifs as well as artistic traditions from all over the world — alongside its tableware, the company would soon be producing cups and pitchers adorned with polar bears and forest creatures, while tea services and other serving pieces were crafted in a range of styles that included Art Nouveau, Egyptian Revival and Rococo.
Around 1860, Gorham delved into bronze casting. When it opened a division dedicated to bronze work, Gorham collaborated with sculptors such as Daniel Chester French, Anna Hyatt Huntington and Alexander P. Proctor.
By the 1920s, Gorham had employed thousands of workers and had partnered with Danish modernist silversmith Erik Magnussen. However, the Great Depression ground production to a halt. The company was sold to Textron, Inc. in the late 1960s and it changed hands several times before it sold to Department 56 in 2005.
Today, the work of Gorham Manufacturing Company continues to be exhibited in galleries and museums. The RISD Museum in Providence houses a collection of nearly 5,000 works.
On 1stDibs, find a range of antique Gorham Manufacturing Company serveware and decorative objects.
- Pair of Gorham Lancaster Sterling Silver Ice TongsBy Shreve & Co., Gorham Manufacturing CompanyLocated in New York, NYPair of Lancaster sterling silver ice tongs. Made by Gorham in Providence, ca 1900. U-form with beaded stem and floral terminal. One jaw ovoi...Category
Early 20th Century American Edwardian Barware
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Antique Gorham Edwardian Sterling Silver & Crystal DecanterBy Gorham Manufacturing CompanyLocated in New York, NYEdwardian crystal decanter with sterling silver stopper. Made by Gorham in Providence in 1897. Bell-form bowl with baluster neck, U-form spout, and c...Category
Antique 1890s North American Edwardian Sterling Silver
MaterialsCrystal, Sterling Silver
- Antique Gorham Art Nouveau Sterling Silver & Crystal Whiskey DecanterBy Gorham Manufacturing CompanyLocated in New York, NYTurn-of-the-century Art Nouveau sterling silver and crystal decanter. Made by Gorham in Providence. Ovoid crystal bowl with cut and engraved ornament: Beaded horse...Category
Early 20th Century American Art Nouveau Sterling Silver
MaterialsCrystal, Sterling Silver
- Gorgeous Gorham Japonesque Sterling Silver Flask with Cranes & BambooBy Gorham Manufacturing CompanyLocated in New York, NYJaponesque sterling silver flask. Made by Gorham in Providence in 1878. Ovoid with flat front and back, short neck, and chained, threaded, and cork-lined cover. Engraved bamboo, cran...Category
Antique 1870s American Japonisme Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Large Antique Gorham American Edwardian Flask in Sterling Silver CageBy Gorham Manufacturing CompanyLocated in New York, NYLarge Edwardian flask. Made by Gorham in Providence in 1900. Rectilinear with flat front and back and curved sides in clear glass. Textural easy-grip sterling silver cage with dense ...Category
Antique Early 1900s American Edwardian Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Gorham Brilliant-Cut Glass and Sterling Silver Moon Flask DecanterBy Gorham Manufacturing CompanyLocated in New York, NYBrilliant-cut-glass and sterling silver decanter. Made by Gorham in Providence in 1894. Round body with thumb ring handle. Cut ornament in arched frames. Co...Category
Antique 1890s American Victorian Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Antique Gorham Sterling Olive Bowl and TongsBy Gorham Manufacturing CompanyLocated in Litchfield, CTCirca 1884, sterling, Gorham. This unequivocally charming serving piece embodies the relaxed refinement of the Victorian era. Complete with tongs, this rare example of a figural Gorham olive dish...Category
Antique 1880s American Aesthetic Movement Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Marie Antoinette by Gorham Sterling Silver Ice Bowl Set, Hollowware & BarwareBy Gorham Manufacturing CompanyLocated in Big Bend, WIMarie Antoinette by Gorham. Marvelous Marie Antoinette by Gorham sterling silver ice bowl set. This set includes: One round tray that is marked #497, it weighs 37.75 ozt., and ...Category
Antique 1890s American Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Black, Starr & Gorham Sterling Silver Bar Cocktail Shaker Mid-Century ModernBy Black, Starr & GorhamLocated in New York, NYBlack, Starr & Gorham sterling silver bar cocktail shaker, in Mid-Century Modern style in beautiful geometric design. It measures 8 3/4'' in height by 5'' in width by 4 1/3'' in dept...Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sterling Silver
MaterialsSilver, Sterling Silver
- Edwardian Period Sterling Silver Ice Tongs by S. Kirk and SonBy S. Kirk & SonsLocated in New York, NYEdwardian Period, sterling silver ice tongs, S. Kirk and Son, Baltimore, Maryland, circa. 1900, Old Maryland - pattern. Measures 6 1/2 inches long x 3 inc...Category
Antique Early 1900s American Edwardian Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Victorian Period, Sterling Silver Mustache Cup by GorhamBy Gorham Manufacturing CompanyLocated in New York, NYVictorian Period, sterling silver mustache cup, Gorham manufacturing Corp., Providence, Rhode Island, circa 1895. Measures 3 inches high x 3 inches diamet...Category
Antique 1890s American Victorian Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Victorian Sterling Silver-Mounted Decanter and 4 Matching Glasses, GorhamBy Gorham Manufacturing CompanyLocated in New York, NYVictorian Period, sterling silver-mounted decanter with hinged lid and having four matching glasses, Gorham Manufacturing Company, Providence, Rhode Island, year-hallmarked for 1894....Category
Antique 1890s American Victorian Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver