This generously illustrated volume presents almost 200 beautiful and rare pieces of utilitarian silver from the art nouveau and art deco period, selected from a private silver collection. Experts in silverware from this period and the many fans of the art nouveau and art deco in general will certainly be surprised by the large number of splendid pieces from this collection. It brings together objects by various renowned silversmiths, including Christopher Dresser, Charles Robert Ashbee, Omar Ramsden/Alwin Carr and Edward Spencer/Henry Wilson/Paul Cooper. The colour photographs of the objects are accompanied by relevant information. In addition, the book includes essays by silver specialists. An essay by Eric Turner (Victoria & Albert Museum, London) examines reforms in the work of English silversmiths and describes the pieces in this collection that illustrate these developments. Lynn Springer Roberts (former curator at the Art Institute of Chicago) writes about American silverware from the early 20th century, and Reinhard Sänger (Badisches Landesmuseum, Karlsruhe) focuses on continental silver, paying special attention to the beautifully decorated cutlery. After the presentation of the collection in Rotterdam, the exhibition goes on tour to Ghent, Kolding (Denmark) and Munich