Mar 16, 2026 11:00 EST
Charleston Collects Including a Prominent Downtown Charleston Estate
86
Group of Charleston Silver Flatware
Property from a Prominent Downtown Charleston Estate
James Emmons Spear, Charleston, mid 19th century
Comprising:
Three dessert forks, length 6 5/8 inches
Three "Wheat Sheaf" pattern teaspoons
Five teaspoons
Master butter knife, length 7 1/2 inches
Gravy Ladle, length 7 1/2 inches
Total approximately 12 ounces.
James Emmons Spear (1817–1871) was a prominent 19th-century American silversmith and jeweler who became a cornerstone of the artisan community in Charleston, South Carolina. He first worked in Savannah, Georgia, until 1844 before permanently relocating to Charleston by April 1846, where he quickly advertised his services as a jeweler and watchmaker. For over 25 years, Spear operated a highly successful shop at 235 King Street.
Sold for $640
Estimated at $700 - $1,000
Includes Buyer's Premium
Property from a Prominent Downtown Charleston Estate
James Emmons Spear, Charleston, mid 19th century
Comprising:
Three dessert forks, length 6 5/8 inches
Three "Wheat Sheaf" pattern teaspoons
Five teaspoons
Master butter knife, length 7 1/2 inches
Gravy Ladle, length 7 1/2 inches
Total approximately 12 ounces.
James Emmons Spear (1817–1871) was a prominent 19th-century American silversmith and jeweler who became a cornerstone of the artisan community in Charleston, South Carolina. He first worked in Savannah, Georgia, until 1844 before permanently relocating to Charleston by April 1846, where he quickly advertised his services as a jeweler and watchmaker. For over 25 years, Spear operated a highly successful shop at 235 King Street.
Generally good condition overall with wear from use; various monograms; wear and losses to tines of forks
Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client, is an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact and our Organization shall have no responsibility for any error or omission. Please contact the specialist department to request further information or additional images that may be available.
Auction: Charleston Collects Including a Prominent Downtown Charleston Estate, Mar 16, 2026
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Successful Charleston Collects Auction on March 16, 2026 Surpasses Expectations!
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Featuring Property from a Prominent Downtown Charleston Estate
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Exceptional Results for Silver, Furniture, Jewelry and More
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Consignments Are Currently Being Accepted for Future Auctions
CHARLESTON, SC – Doyle continued the success of its popular Charleston Collects auctions as the recent sale far surpassed expectations. Held in Doyle’s Charleston gallery at 123 King Street and livestreamed on Doyle.com, the auction on March 16 included over 100 lots from a Prominent Downtown Charleston Estate.
Local bidders in the saleroom faced determined competition from collectors bidding remotely from coast to coast, as well as from Europe and Asia. Estimated at $197,900-302,200, the auction totaled an outstanding $410,114 with an impressive 95% of the lots sold.
Charleston Rice Bed
Highlighting the furniture offerings from the Charleston Estate was a late 18th/early 19th century Charleston Federal inlaid mahogany full tester “rice” bed that achieved an exceptional $10,880, more than doubling its $3,000-5,000 estimate. The carving on the front bedposts on this impressive bed relates to an example illustrated in Charleston Furniture by E. Milby Burton.
Georgian Silver
The sale saw remarkably strong results for silver from the Charleston Estate by prominent London silversmiths of the Georgian era. Competitive bidding drove a sterling silver wine cooler by Robert Sharp, dated 1798, soaring over its $3,000-5,000 estimate to a stunning $19,200. A set of four elegant sterling silver columnar candlesticks by Emrick Romer, 1761, and an elaborate sterling silver epergne by Henry Chawner, 1792, each estimated at $5,000-7,000, realized an impressive $12,800 and $12,160, respectively.
Doyle Salutes the Charleston Design Community
Collectors who attended the pre-sale exhibition enjoyed immersive vignettes curated by Michael Mitchell of Michael Mitchell Inc. and Cortney Bishop of Cortney Bishop Design, which reimagined select pieces in the sale as fully realized rooms. Each designer drew on the resources of the Charleston Design District, sourcing textiles, lighting, and finishing touches to bring these spaces to life and demonstrate how auction finds can transform and elevate modern interiors. The exhibition was held concurrently with Historic Charleston Foundation’s Charleston by Design and Preservation Society of Charleston’s Charleston Symposium, popular annual events that attract a national audience of design professionals and connoisseurs of historic furnishings to Charleston.
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Consignments are currently being accepted for future auctions. We invite you to contact us for complimentary auction estimates. Our Specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection.
