WHITING Lge SS COMPOTE; 19th-Cent., AESTHETIC Style; NR Start Price USD 750.00 Current Price USD 750.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Thursday, July 17, 2008 End Time Thursday, July 24, 2008 Location Long Island, NY See more about 'WHITING Lge SS COMPOTE; 19th-Cent., AESTHETIC Style; NR' Description This unusually large WHITING STERLING SILVER COMPOTE has one of their early marks.  Whiting was established in 1866 and I believe this piece was made circa 1870, in the Aesthetic period.   Please see all the close-ups, below.  There is a precise, raised pattern serving as a border at the top rim, and a similar pattern is engraved below it on the bowl.  An expanded version of the engraved pattern is then used on the curved portion of the base, leading finally to a smaller version of the raised pattern at the bottom rim.  The interior of the bowl is covered with a gleaming gold wash.  There are elaborately engraved initials on one side, and I invite you to interpret them . . . I think the one on the far left is a J, the center baffles me, and I'm sure that the one on the far right is an R.  The compote is 7 3/4" high, 9 3/8" in diameter at the top, and 5 7/16" in diameter at the bottom.  It weighs 26.040 troy ounces on my digital scale.  There are a few minor ripples on the sides of the bowl -- they're short and so shallow that they proved impossible to photograph.  The bowl has the usual light surface scratches, both inside and out.  The base sits flat on the table -- no rocking at all.  This is a superb centerpiece, ready to serve you and your family for the next hundred years.  Enjoy.  Buyer pays shipping and handling based on destination, plus insurance.  Please use check, money order, or PayPal.  International buyer must use PayPal ONLY. Place a Bid!