Reed Barton Silverplate Tray - Pattern help

So far I have been unable to find anything marked 2088 in the Reed and Barton line. This has faces on the handles and I think the flowers are thistle? any help greatly appreciated. I know it is plated and I know what the mark says even though it is worn. Just seeking help on the design or how to describe the handles? Thanks!

 

I believe it was Reed and Barton that put out the Medallion flatware pattern.
You might want to start there.

 

Flatware with those Roman "soldier" type faces is commonly called "Medallion." Reed and Barton's Roman Medallion flatware was dated 1868.

 

Roman Medallion was a multi-motif pattern and one of them looks very much like the man on your tray.

http://www.sterlingflatwarefashions.com/SPPatterns/ReedBarton3.html

 

thanks! I appreciate you guys so much!

 

There are 2 medallion patterns listed under Reed & Barton on the replacements.com site. One is just Medallion that is dated 1888:
http://replacements.com/webquote/RDSMED.htm

The other is what Baker gave, Roman Medallion:
http://replacements.com/webquote/RDSROME.htm

What the difference between them is, I don't know. The helmut heads look the same, but don't think the same as on this tray. I couldn't find hollowware in these pattern, but suspect it's out there??

--- Susan

 

I don't know where Replacements got an 1888 date for "Medallion" by Reed and Barton. No such pattern is listed in either D&D or Hagan. D&D give a patent date of Dec 29, 1868 for Roman Medallion. Perhaps they were confused by the fact that RM was "multi-motif."

 

yeah I looked and looked and also cannot find this shape handle. Both of those medallion patterns are close but not exact. THanks Susan.

 

Here is a coffee pot with the same Roman Medallion head on the side. There is also a coffee "urn" shown below. Replacements must not realize that it matches the flatware pattern. I only went to look because the number was similar to your tray, Rose.

http://www.replacements.com/webquote/RDS2044.htm

 

Baker, believe you nailed it with this 2044 pattern! The helmut head does seems to match head on this tray. The medallions on those flatware medallion flatware patterns aren't bearded like these.

--- Susan

 

I don't think they are the same, it is really hard to tell as that picture is very low quality. but my guy has feathers coming out of the top of his helmet, a very sharp pointed nose and a tail of sorts at the back of the helmet. but its so hard to see that one on R.

 

Remember that the flatware pattern was "multi-motif" meaning that there were several (unsure how many) different versions of the soldier's head appearing on the pieces. There are 2 shown in the link to sterlingflatwarefashions that I provided above (one of which I believe matches Rose's tray.) Now we see a third on the coffee pot. Believe me, this is normal for this kind of design.

 

You are right Baker, multi-motif! The Roman Medallion pattern on replacements.com shows at least 10 different helmeted heads on different pieces. Am including a pic of the different heads. The ones pictured are tablespoon, demitasse spoon, fork, oyster ladle, mustard ladle, nut pick, salt spoon soup ladle, and teaspoon. Not sure if any of these are exact like the tray, but there were many many other pieces to this pattern not pictured.

Have also included a pic comparing the 2 on sterlingflatwarefashions to the one on the tray. Believe the helmets are different as Rose said.

--- Susan




Comparison pic:

 

Meant to add, replacements should have listed pattern #2044 along with "Roman Medallion" as a hollowware Roman Medallion as they did with Reed & Barton "Francis I" hollowware.

http://www.replacements.com/silver/RDS05.htm

--- Susan

 

Good job, Susan! The other thing to keep in mind is that there's probably a size and scale difference between pieces that will affect how a motif in common will look. I don't know how big (or small) the oval head portrait is on Rose's tray handles. But the oval vs circular and even a modest difference in size may produce a slightly different "look".

 

I agree. But they may not have seen a catalog showing the hollowware under the name, but only with the inventory number.

 

you are both awesome! thanks so much!

 

okay, now, does anyone have any idea what the flower is? I would like to add it to the description. Is it some kind of thistle?

 

They don't look very much like thistles to me. Missing the spray of the colored part out of the "bulbous" part. And the foliage is different too. Thistles leaves are sharp.

https://www.google.com/search?q=thi...ved=0ahUKEwjxlvmY7-HJAhUMwGMKHR_xCV0Q_AUIBigB

 

I wonder whether what looks like a flower is actually a leaf and is some version of the palmette or anthemion that is a decorative motif that looks Classical? I'm wondering because of the helmeted Roman person, too. I was hoping that the smaller leaves in the decoration on the tray were supposed to represent laurel leaves, but can't make them quite fit.

This could be totally off, but just trying to keep this thread going.

Anthemion images:
https://www.google.com/search?q=ant...hUKEwiep7DUhOjJAhVEQiYKHSXDAzAQsAQILQ#imgrc=_

Wikipedia article about the palmette:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmette