Sherborne  by Royal Doulton
Chantilly  by Duncan & Miller
Poppy (Sterling) by Gorham Silver

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A gently scalloped shape and fluted, swirled rim enhance the floral design of Royal Doulton Sherborne, fine English china produced 1938-1961. The pattern beautifully represents the floral designs and production excellence associated with the Royal Doulton company. Founded as Doulton and Watts in Lambeth, England, in 1815, the company produced both industrial and household ceramics. John Doulton’s sons, who had joined their father in the management of the business, eventually formed companies of their own. But turmoil in the British financial markets forced the businesses to dissolve. In 1853 they reformed as Doulton and Co. (In 1901, King Edward VII conferred a Royal Warrant upon Doulton and Co. to honor the company’s production of ceramic vessels that successfully filtered pollutants from the water of the Thames River, London’s primary source for drinking water.)

Duncan & Miller Chantilly is blown glass with scroll and dot designs on a bowl that flares at the top. The shapely stem features geometric designs that sparkle in the light. Duncan & Miller was founded by George Duncan, who had worked in the glass industry since the end of the Civil War. In 1872, he formed a partnership with his sons, Harry and James, along with his son-in-law, Augustus H. Heisey (another famous name in the history of American glass making). George Duncan & Sons was located in Pittsburgh, PA, an important site for American glass making since Colonial times. Generations of European immigrants lived in the area, many of them drawn from the glass making centers of the Old World. One of those men was John Ernest Miller, a native German who joined the company in 1874. Miller was made a partner in the company in 1900.

Exquisite poppy designs, both buds and full blossoms, adorn Gorham Silver Poppy. This scallop-shaped sterling was introduced in 1902, and, as is to be expected in an older pattern, features a wide array of place setting and serving pieces, including a fruit/orange spoon, chocolate spoon, small sugar tongs, 2-tine butter pick, and 2-piece lettuce serving set, to name a few. For more than 150 years, Gorham Silver has been known as one of the preeminent silver companies in the world, its pieces valued for their timeless style and craftsmanship. Founded in 1831 by Jabez Gorham in a shop on Steeple Street in Providence, Rhode Island, Gorham has developed a reputation for uncompromising artistry. Its silversmiths have gained fame for producing a multitude of exquisite patterns, including Chantilly (the best-selling silver pattern of all time), Buttercup, Fairfax, Melrose, and hundreds more.