Topic: Double LEMONESCENT marmalade

[mrvaselineglass]

Hello all
About a year ago, a friend of mine bought a Lemonescent (by Thomas Webb) marmalade that had an original metal frame holder on it:
http://www.vaselineglass.org/sherz5a.jpg
This vintage frame is silverplate.

I had a pair of these dishes, one satin finish, and one with a bright finish.
I decided that there had to be a frame out there.  Unfortunately, I could not find one, so I contacted a local silversmith, took illustrations to him, and had him build one out of Sterling Silver.  The bowls are Webb, the matching spoons are vintage 1900's silverplate, and the frame is 2006.  I think he recreated the look of the original very nicely!  Each dish has to sit in a specific side, as the bases are slightly different is size.  Also, they have to be oriented within each side specifically one way.  (three wrong chances, only one correct position.)  When each dish is in the correct position, the four corners of the base of the glass dishes rest on the 4 "half-balls" in each frame.  The 'leaves' up each side actually do not come in contact with the glass at all and only provide balance and security from tipping out one side or the other.  The spoon mounts were made so that each spoon was at the same level and that when in their hanging position, they hang over the dishes so that any marmalade can drip off the spoons into the dish, and not down the outside edges of the bowls.  The silversmith was Mike Monday, and he runs a small shop in Oklahoma City called THE JEWELER'S BENCH.  His website is the last link at the bottom of this posting, in case you want to see any of his work (no, this is not spam, as I am just bragging on his work, and don't receive any commissions from him!)
Here is a pair of views of the completed dish, followed by two photos of the frame by itself.  The last link shows that the diameter of the bases is actually different sizes, due to the difference in size of the two glass bowls.  

http://www.vaselineglass.org/lemonpair1.jpg
http://www.vaselineglass.org/lemonpair2.jpg
http://www.vaselineglass.org/lemonpair3.jpg
http://www.vaselineglass.org/lemonpair4.jpg

THE JEWELER'S BENCH:
http://www.jewelersbenchokc.com/

Dave
aka: Mr. Vaseline Glass

[Leni]

Dave, what a brilliant idea!   :shock: Your dishes look absolutely wonderful!    

I have a bought few dishes which have lost their frames over the years (it's always been a mystery to me how the glass survives and the frames are lost, when one would expect it to be the other way around!) and I also have a friend who is a silversmith!  I don't know why it has never occured to me to ask him to make me replacement frames, which must certainly increase the value of the dishes by much more than the cost!    :roll:  

[flick]

What a great site!  My BF has been looking for sometime for a jeweller to commission a typically American piece.  Thanks! 

PS - Your piece is fantastic 

[mrvaselineglass]

Leni
If you decide to commission a frame, be aware the process is not cheap. This frame cost me the equivalent of about 325GBP.  I ordered it on May 20, 06, and it was ready to be picked up yesterday.  Silverplate is not cheaper, it just involves different work.  As the silversmith explained it to me, whenever he makes a solder, all previously welded pieces have to be resecured, because the entire piece has to be heated up in order for the weld to hold.  After that weld is done, the entire piece has to be polished before the next weld can be attempted, or the weld will not hold.  The solder will only hold on a clean surface.  The little cup feet had to be cast, and then have a cap put on the tops of each one, then each was welded to the frame separately.  It was a lengthy process.  The silversmith is open Wed-Sat, and he does his bench work on the days he is closed.  With silver, the cost of the materials is less than gold, but the labor is higher.  Gold is much easier to weld, it just costs more to work with.

[Anne]

Dave, this is super - doesn't it look good.

Leni, I often wonder if the metal parts went for the war effort - like so many metal railings and gates and aluminium pans etc allegedly did?

[Leni]

Leni, I often wonder if the metal parts went for the war effort - like so many metal railings and gates and aluminium pans etc allegedly did?

 :shock: Good gracious, Anne!  I never thought of that possibility!   :shock:

I remember as a child walking along the park wall and seeing holes where the metal railings had been removed - we were told they would be replaced one day, but they never were.  I suppose if the frames for glass bowls etc. were only silver plate, they might well have gone the same way!   :roll:

[Frank]

Get it made in Thailand, they will make virtually anything to high standards at a few percent over the cost of the metal. There are lots of silversmiths doing nothing else than make antique metalwork for the antiques trade. They even put the requested hallmarks on.