Maison European Antiques: June 2015

Saturday, June 20, 2015

The allure of Hotel Silver...

Hotel Silver...I am always looking for a piece to add to my collection...I have been collecting vintage hotel silver for twenty years...it is beautiful & rare..maybe that's why collectors are drawn to these wonderful objects from the past. For many enthusiasts the initial attraction is visual...others are drawn to the history of the pieces. Some collectors search for silver from hotels or restaurants that have a significant meaning for them. When I started collecting hotel silver, I could easily find pieces in England & France...flatware, teapots, cream & sugars were everywhere...now it's a different story...all the older pieces are hard to find. The market is full of reproductions, which can be nicely done...unfortunately these pieces won't have the patina & weight of the earlier ones. Always check the marks...Silver tells us much of its history in the marks...Hotel Silver usually says silver soldered, the maker and the establishment on the bottom of the piece or on the front. I was fortunate to find two pieces from the Plaza Hotel at an estate sale...both are large pieces, a Samovar and a large domed footed serving stand...both were marked under the bottom Plaza Hotel...the seller never saw the marks & I wasn't certain until I cleaned the pieces & found them. Both are prized possessions, that would be hard to replace. Sharing with you some wonderful example of Hotel Silver...