"Lily by Whiting, designer: Charles Osborne, c.1902 patent date. Produced by Whiting through 1926, thereafter by Gorham.
47 pc. service: 7pc place setting for 6, 3 serving spoons/shells, 2-pc salad service.
In my opinion, the most stunning American sterling silver pattern ever crafted, the c.1902 "Lily" by Whiting. It was my first love and first sterling silver service, and I started 40 years ago with the purchase of a single tablespoon as a graduate student raising my 3 little boys. Luxuries were few and far between. Oh, you can't imagine how much better simple single mom shredded wheat tasted with that one spoon. And through the years since, I added here and there, and now have such a massive collection, we've sectioned it out into several sets. I'm still in love with this pattern. And if you look on replacements dot com, it will explain that many others also still think this is a breathtakingly valuable pattern. Some pieces fetching $5k just for the serving piece. Many serving pieces are hard to find, pricey. The 11.5 (largest) heavy salad service set (spoon and fork) we've put with this 6-person 7-pc place setting set runs $1600. A knife will bring $190, a set of them higher. Forks are somewhere close to that. I'll try to break this set down for you:
2 pc Salad server set, 11.5" long, tear bowl, Whiting marks.
6 old Whiting knives, 8 7/8" long
12 old Whiting luncheon forks, 6 5/8" long
6 old Whiting soup spoons, 6 3/4" long
6 old Whiting bullion spoons, 4 7/8" long
6 old Whiting tea spoons, 5 3/4" long
6 old Whiting 5-o'clock spoons 5 3/8" long
3 serving spoons with shell bowls, 2 vermeil.
Set comes with wood drawer case, silver felt lined and cut-out side handles, as shown (vintage)
The Whiting silver history dates back to 1840, as a firm "Tifft & Whiting", The c.1902 Patent date Art Nouveau pattern was a huge hit in the Belle Epoch, and each Whiting piece was hand crafted and heavy, elegantly made through 1926. At that time the Whiting Co., was sold to Gorham, another lauded and long-histories top name in American silver. The opulent Lily pattern was continued but the original c.1902-1926 pieces which carry the Whiting mark (Lion passant with his paw on W) remain the highest value and finest pieces. Gotham acquire the patterns and increased the number of pieces made of this one. Again, the old Whiting marks I've collected are of highest value and retain highest value. I can set Whiting beside the few newer Gotham pieces and the crispness of pattern, the weight of the piece, the beauty of detail is just finer in the old Whiting.
I do have a few service pieces in Gorham, but they're in the much larger 177 piece service being offered separately.
The Whiting company's most important designer was Charles Osborne. He worked in the 1880s for Tiffany before returning to Whiting. His designs are some of the most important of the American Aesthetic movement. "Lily" was designed by Charles Osborne.
