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Thursday, March 16, 2017

Revere Bowls



In the background of my picture of forsythia stems the other day, was a bowl that I've been using in decor for this past year. This is a Revere bowl. Several manufacturers have had these on the market over the years; many brides received one or many as wedding gifts, in the 1960s and 1970s.  Revere bowls come in graduated sizes, and are silver plate, for the most part. Their design is a simple, fluted bowl on a shallow pedestal base.


Brand new, an 8-inch diameter version can cost $100 or more. In vintage stores, I see them for sale, priced between $10 and $25, in this size. I also watch for them in thrift stores, and they do turn up. I have three bowls, now, all of different sizes. My last purchase, an 8-inch diameter Revere bowl from Value Village last summer, was $4.99.


I love the simplicity of design in these bowls. Without a lot of ornamental detail, the beauty is in the the silver.  At Thanksgiving, I used it as a serving bowl; lined with a cloth napkin, it held warm dinner rolls.  It sparkled at holiday time, filled with silver sleigh bells and red glass balls. I'm thinking in summer this bowl will be lovely holding some of my larger seashells, and a large aqua glass ball that always makes me think of glass fishnet floats.

Incidentally, it is silver plate and does tarnish. I know, who has time to polish silver, right? Almost 20 years ago, my mother-in-law gave me the handiest thing for polishing silver. It's called a jeweler's rouge polishing cloth. I've seen them on Amazon and at WalMart. If you have silver but don't use it due to the upkeep, these cloths are amazing. I am still using that original cloth, almost 20 years later. They cost between $6 and $10, but outlast multiple jars of commercial polish. Mine was a hand-me-down 20 years ago, and it is still going strong. I love the look of silver and so I am willing to take a few minutes per month to polish a small piece or two.

I'm a lover of polished silver, sparkling crystal, flickering candlelight, and bouquets of flowers. Fortunately, I can find all of the above at thrift stores, vintage shops, on clearance, or in my garden. Life's luxuries on a whisper thin budget.

14 comments:

  1. What a lovely blog to read first thing this morning, reminding me of the many ways to enhance life with very little money. Ironically, I have never heard about Revere ware, but I do appreciate the beauty. And wonderful that you were able to find more pieces so economically. I am also impressed that you still have the cloth you mentioned. Thank you for mentioning it in a way that your readers can also acquire one. Thank you!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Jayne,
      They are beautiful in their simplicity, aren't they? The Value Village near us always has a small handful of silver plate serving pieces. They're usually pretty tarnished and so just get overlooked by most people. They're probably not high on the priority list for many folks shopping VV. Oh well, more for me to choose from! The jeweler's rouge cloth is amazing, I think. So much easier than using the paste stuff. And in the end, I think it is more affordable, given how long they last.
      Have a great day, Jayne!

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  2. I love your decor ideas. Thank you for sharing how you polish silverware.

    I think I've ruined a few silver plated platter and serving ware by using various cleaning solutions. I was thinking recently I should just donate these, but now you have inspired me to try a jeweler's cloth. I don't have one, and should, to clean my sterling silver jewelry, which I wear now and then.

    I need to pay more attention to enjoying life's luxuries, before I get too old to enjoy. I know it's silly to always think of my advancing age, but I am going through some serious evaluation of priorities. I normally dismiss these things as not important to life, a want more than a need, so I haven't given it equal importance. But now that the tables have turned (entering final phase and wanting no regrets), I need to do more of what I want and that includes enjoying a few luxuries, especially those that you mentioned.

    Have a nice day!!

    YHF

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    Replies
    1. Hi YHF,
      I am guessing you tried the aluminum foil trick with baking soda? I've never tried that, but have wondered if it worked well for other people. I did use toothpaste a few times. That worked okay, but was just as expensive as silver polish, for how much toothpaste that I had to use.

      I understand. I am going through the same thing, wondering if I've done enough in life, for my own satisfaction. That's propelling me to work on skills that I can use in a career. Silly at my age to really want a career, but I do. So I understand your train of thought.

      Have a lovely day, YHF!

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    2. Yes, I did try aluminum foil and baking soda. Didn't work as it was supposed to.

      I think it is great that you want a career!! I wish I had the desire to learn, but sadly I have too many senior moments to even try. Yesterday, I struggled with my passwords on two banking sites, and had to call to unlock. I forgot to capitalize where I should, something I don't write down but commit to memory. I blame my occasional memory loss on taking max dose statins for nearly 20 years.

      YHF

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    3. If it's any consolation, everyone I know, young and old, struggles to remember passwords. Hence the password memory tools embedded in the computer. I've had to call in to be able to reset a password or two, too.

      Delete
  3. I think part of the beauty of the bowl is its shape. Just enough softness to it without being overdone.

    Thanks for letting us know about the polishing cloths! I don't like polishing silver--anything to simplify the process would be great!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Kris,
      I think that you're right about the shape and simplicity of these bowls. They're timeless, and due to their simplicity, what you see is the gleaming silver and the gently fluted shape, not an ornate pattern.

      Oh, happy to share! Those cloths are so much neater to use, and easy.

      Have a lovely day, Kris!

      Delete
  4. Those polishing cloths are wonderful. I have a similar little silverplate bowl with a burgundy/red lining that was a wedding gift 30 years ago. The polishing cloth certainly makes using my silver items easier!
    That's a pretty combination of items in your photo, Lili.
    Mary

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    Replies
    1. Hi Mary,
      These bowls have made very popular wedding gifts over the years. How lovely to have a colored liner for yours. It adds some festive color for the holidays, I'm sure.
      Thank you. I think if you put things out that you love to see, a harmony develops between everything.

      Have a lovely day, Mary!

      Delete
  5. I love silver and use it regularly. I also love the way silver polish smells, and don't mind polishing it, but I might consider a polishing cloth.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Anne,
      Hmm, I never thought about the smell of silver polish. For me, it's the mess that I dislike. I set up a space on the kitchen counter, and if I get distracted, that mess sits there until I can finish. I think that's one of the things I like about that cloth. I'll often just pull t out of the drawer and polish something while standing in the dining room, then tuck the cloth away again. (Of course, if you use the cloth for food service items, you do need to rinse them. Jeweler's rouge cloths have the rouge in them, and even a trace of that stuff should be washed off. But often I'm just polishing so that items look pretty for the month.)

      Have lovely day, Anne!

      Delete
  6. I'll have to keep my eye open for them. It is a beautiful bowl and a great price. :)

    Hope you have a great weekend, Lili. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Belinda,
      Thank you -- I thought so too. The dishes, silver items and canning jars are my favorite spots in thrift stores. It is really a treasure hunt for me.

      Have a wonderful weekend, Belinda!

      Delete

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