A set of six sterling silver martini glasses, or coupes. This handsome set not only are opulent to drink from with their stunning gilt wash interior, but they also display beautifully for the back of the bar, or on a tray surrounding a cocktail shaker. These designs are different to a classic sloped side martini glass, allowing for less chance of spillage than a classic more open conical edge.
The interior features the most sumptuous of yellow gold gilt washes. The gilt wash, gold plating, is not only done for aesthetic reasons. The gold wash also protects from the fruit, or other contents inside the bowl of the glass from tarnishing the sterling beneath. This process is seldom done today, and when it is the colour is unfortunately never as luscious as this original hue, now one hundred years old.
The iconic martini glass made its debut at the 1925 Paris Exhibition, showcasing a modernist spin on the classic coupe design. With its elongated stem to minimize the warming effects of body heat, and a widened brim that increases the drink's surface area, the martini glass was an innovative vessel. Its steeply sloped sides also help prevent the separation of ingredients, ensuring a harmonious blend in every sip. While the martini may be the drink most associated with this elegant glassware, the martini glass can also beautifully present other sophisticated libations, such as the cosmopolitan or manhattan
In the era of 1898, a group of independent New England silversmiths joined forces to establish the International Silver Company, a visionary enterprise that would soon reign as the world's preeminent manufacturer of fine silverware. Uniting their collective talents and expertise between 1898 and 1903, these master artisans pooled their resources, forming a company with an authorized capital of $20,000,000. Among the esteemed firms that comprised this prestigious alliance were several venerable names that had already carved out distinguished reputations in the silver industry;
Barbour Silver Co. (Hartford), Derby Silver Co. (Derby)
Holmes & Edwards Silver Co. (Bridgeport),
Manhattan Silver Plate Co. (Lyons, N.Y.),
Meriden Britannia Co. (Meriden), Meriden Silver Plate Co. (Meriden),
Middletown Plate Co. (Middletown) Norwich Cutlery Co. (Norwich),
Rogers Cutlery Co.,
Rogers & Brother (Meriden),
Rogers & Hamilton Co. (Waterbury),
Simpson Hall Miller & Co. (Wallingford),
Simpson Nickel Silver Co. (Wallingford),
Standard Silver Company Ltd (Toronto, Canada)
Watrous Mfg Co. (Wallingford),
Wilcox Silver Plate Co. (Meriden),
William Rogers Mfg Co. (Hartford) United States Silver Corporation Including C. Rogers & Brothers (Meriden).
They are in perfect condition, and come in their original anti tarnish cloth pouches. They are ready to either be displayed on a bar, or to be used and enoyed!
Made in America, circa 1940's.
