This bone salad serving set, which measures 10.5 inches long, appears to have been made in France, c.1880. Long ago, one of the fork prongs broke off and was repaired by a silversmith, who added a wide band to help secure the break. As many antique bone salad servers were made with silver handles or embellishments, this silver repair seems appropriate.
Here’s a more upscale set of French salad servers with original ornate silver handles.
Photo courtesy of Catawiki
I found this great little red clay pottery pot in Maine a few years back and it continues to amuse me. It has an appealing patinated surface and an unusual thrifty make-do repair, typical of pieces found in New England. I believe it was made in Massachusetts in the mid-1800s and measures 6″ high, with a top diameter of 5″. When the pot cracked, no doubt due to excessive use, an iron band was slipped over the neck, but had to be made wide enough to clear the slightly flared ridge. So to tighten the band and seal the crack, five hand forged square nails were wedged between the metal band and the outside wall of the pot, forming a snug seal. This novel repair certainly did the trick to make the pot function once again and also inadvertently transformed it from a plain vessel into a folksy curiosity.
Early American Pattern Glass (aka EAPG) cake stand in the “Pleat & Panel” pattern made by Bryce Brothers in Pittsburgh, PA, dates from 1882. It measures 6-3/4″ high and has a 9″ x 9″ top surface
A simple metal sleeve encases the broken stem after it snapped. This is one of the more simple, yet effective repairs I have seen
An identical cake stand below did not suffer the same fate as mine and sports an unscathed stem
Photo courtesy of Silver Quill Antiques
Large American primitive lathe-turned treenware mortar (with original red painted surface) & pestle, together measure 13″ high.
It was not unusual for wooden utilitarian items such as bowls and mortars to crack, due to a change in climate. Two steel bands were added to help stabilize the large break.
The underside of the mortar shows concentric lathe rings, reminding me of a 45 rpm vinyl record.
