c1900 ALVIN Silver Overlay CRANBERRY Glass Pitcher WOW! Start Price USD 2,900.00 Current Price USD 2,900.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Thursday, August 28, 2008 End Time Thursday, September 04, 2008 Location Near Chicago, Illinois See more about 'c1900 ALVIN Silver Overlay CRANBERRY Glass Pitcher WOW!' Description If you collect silver overlay, I don’t need to say very much about this fantastic, rare piece. As nice as I think my pictures are (she said immodestly ;-)), you will be absolutely wowed if you are the lucky person who gets to display it. It is near perfect, with only two tiny areas of missing silver, which I am showing you larger and in context. The one on the front is a piece of the lower-most leaf, and the one on the left side is the skinny band of silver (you can see “ghost” if you look really closely) that connected the bottommost leaf to the one above it diagonally to the left. As you can clearly see, these tiny imperfections are really inconsequential. In my opinion, they do nothing to detract from the absolutely stunning presentation of this piece. That is all I have to say, even slightly negative, about its condition. There are no chips or cracks (even on the typical stress areas you often find when you look where the handle is joined to the body). The pitcher is 9 inches tall, with an opening diameter of 2 ¾ inches. The diameter of the (FABULOUS CUT GLASS) base is 4 ½ inches. Note, by the way, that the base is red, not clear, indicating that this is true, solid cranberry glass, not flashed! The glass is thick and the silver is thick and plentiful, so it should not surprise you to learn that the pitcher weighs 2 ¾ pounds. The markings, which appear on the lowest band of silver at the back of the bottle, are absolutely sharp and clear in person. I did not want to make my image that big (I had so much else to show you!), so I will tell you what they say if you cannot clearly read them: PATENTED R3816 999/1000 FINE (the 9s are somewhat worn). These are followed by the 3-part Alvin “A-in-a shield" mark. I believe the “R” signifies “red,” and you probably know that the silver is almost pure (sterling is 925 parts per 1000). I cannot say for sure, but there is a good chance the glass was made by Steuben. My understanding is that that is where Alvin obtained many of its blanks. This seems especially likely because the glass is real cranberry. Oh, one last design feature. The cartouche is engraved – really nicely! However, I have no idea what it says. I presume it is a 3-letter monogram, but more than that, I won’t speculate. The wonderful flowing Art Nouveau design is in keeping with the rest of the fantastic Alvin silver work. Buyer pays actual shipping cost, which may very likely be that of a 5-pound oversized package. I am not sure about either the packed weight or the size; I know only that I want to pack it safely. I have plugged some dimensions into the mail calculator, so you can get an idea of the cost to your location, but consider it only an estimate. I am putting the worst-case scenario into the shipping calculator, so the actual cost may be less. I am referencing the USPS, but UPS may be another option. I don’t often use them, so we can cross that bridge when we come to it. Be sure to look at my other auctions, where you'll find more great stuff. I add new treasures all the time, so come back often.On Aug-27-08 at 17:57:11 PDT, seller added the following information: Use the FREE Counters 1 million sellers do - Vendio! Place a Bid!