A delightful Chester silver miniature card box, complete with complete set of "Little Duke" cards. Box and lid are both hallmarked with Chester marks. George Nathan and Ridley Hayes worked between 1897 and 1912, they had premises in Howard Street, Birmingham and also a retail shop at 13 Hatton Gardens, London.
An interesting Edwardian novelty silver menu holder featuring a happy fox, we love this item. It sits on a rectangular filled pedestal base, quite substantial so it could also be used as a desk paperweight, it can also hold a business card. The hallmarks are clear. This matches a pair featuring cartoon golfers, also by Deakin & Francis 1908, on the Steppes Hill website www.steppeshillfarmantiques.com, a site we highly recommend.
Small Liberty cymric bowl set with turquoises, probably designed by Archibald Knox. Knox was renowned for his use of semi precious stones with silver.
Beautiful christening set (boxed spoon and fork) with Hey diddle diddle nursery rhyme, in original box. Exquisite detail, as can be seen from the photographs. Spoon bowl shows detail of complete nursery rhyme. The shafts have a dog, the cow jumping the moon and the cat (who has mysteriously switched from a fiddle to a cello!). Levi and Salaman were well known for their large selection of intricate souvenir spoons. Very clear hallmarks.
A lovely cast silver belt buckle, probably a nurses buckle depicting a bird, butterfly, flowers and bullrushes (on each buckle). The quality is exceptional, the design is well modelled with lovely detail. The buckle was designed by Winifred Green (wife of Charles), who was a talented designer (Source Culme, London goldsmiths). Charles established the firm in 1903, so this buckle was one of their earlier pieces. The firm still exists today, and has a showroom in Cross St, Hatton Gardens, London. The hallmark is extremely clear.
Aide memoire with 2 pierced silver covers, with a rose amongst scrolling foliage, and rope border. The silver protects 2 tortoiseshell covers, which in turn cover the ivory pages. Both silver covers are fully hallmarked, as is the clasp. The original owners shopping list is still visible in pencil. This miniature notebook would have hung from a chatelaine. Oldridge was the sole partner of Grey and Co of Great Portland Street. The firm was noted for its novelties, and supplied many leading retailers, including Asprey & Co.
Unusual spring loaded silver patented bookmark with textured pattern, in full working order. Both arms are hallmarked and stamped "Made in England", in addition to full hallmarks on body. Patent number 257529. Suitable for hard cover books. We think this would have made an excellent gift for a returning serviceman. The rectangular piece slides onto the front cover of a hard cover book, the spring arm reserves the page. The bookmark stays in place when closed and when you are reading.
A silver "two-cigar" case, with Boer War inscription "Dr Kellner, from a Grateful "Australian" Patient, Bloemfontein, 1900". The Australian is in inverted comma's. The case is well made, good quality and gauge, and quite solid. The interior is gilded, and the hallmarks are clear on both sides of the case. H. Matthews was a large and well known Birmingham firm. Bloemfontein was the capital of the Orange Free State, and was surrendered to the British on 13 March 1900. Thirty thousand British troops entered Bloemfontein, and thanks to poor sanitation a typhoid epidemic broke out, which caused hundreds if not thousands of deaths. Doctors (who included Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) were in short supply, with 3 doctors per 350 patients (Pakenham, The Boer War, pg 382) - which no doubt led to the generosity of our unnamed "Australian". Today Bloemfontein hospital is on Kellner Street, we are not sure if there is a connection.
Realistically modelled cast silver shell, with 4 shell spikes used as feet. It has lovely detail, and is very good quality. The only hallmark present is 800. having never seen one of these before, we are not sure of its origin or use, perhaps it is a salt.
An extremely rare Cape Silver vinaigrette, with attractive engraving, a sunburst surrounding a wreath contained in a rectangle on the lid, the base and sides also decorated with naive but attractive zig-zag and dot engraving, typical of colonial Cape silversmiths. The grille is also decorated by hand, with a crude flower and foliage surrounded by hand punched holes in squares. The interior is gilt. Both the lid and base are struck with 3 poorly struck hallmarks, which appear to be the lion passant between 2 castles. However the grille is struck with a very clear LT makers mark, without doubt that of Lawrence Twentyman. The only other known example of a Cape vinaigrette, by Martinus Lourens Smith, appeared at Sothebys Cape Town in February 2007 (Lot 428). None of the Cape silver reference books (Welz, Heller) mention vinaigrettes.
A large size enamel silver engine turned cigarette case, depicting a scantily clad 1940's pin-up girl. The interior is gilt, and is engraved "Brian from Mamie 19th December 1950". Hallmarks are clear, including "Made in England", both sides are hallmarked, even the clasp has a .925 hallmark. W.T. Toghill & Co worked between 1927 and 1951.
Magnificent enamel silver cigarette case, depicting a Boston Terrier, (brindle with white muzzle) of very good quality. The detail of the enamel is extremely good. The box is engine turned, and has a gilt interior. Both sides of the box are hallmarked with clear marks. John Thompson & Sons, which was formed in the 1860's, still trades as a Jewellers at 20 Rosebury Ave, London.
A rare Irish silver Freedom Box, engraved with the coat of arms of the city of Londonderry, in Northern Ireland. Freedom boxes are typically Irish, and were used as presentation pieces to distinguished non- residents who received the honorary freedom of the city (Bennett, Collecting Irish Silver). Example from Dublin, Youghal, Limerick and Cork are known (Bennett), Londonderry is rare. The coat of arms includes a skeleton sitting on a hill, with a turreted castle, and the George Cross and dagger of London above. The skeleton is thought to represent starvation during the great siege. The city motto "Vita Veritas Victoria" (Life, Truth, Victory) is engraved below. The engraving quality is superb, with delicate flowers and chased C scrolls. The decorated lid is a separate panel that has been set into a presumably plain table snuff box. The box has a curved thumbpull for easy opening, and is gilded interior and exterior, with exception of the base. The only hallmarks present are the makers mark (struck twice, on ...
A Boer War teaspoon, with a very detailed Lee-Metford rifle as the shaft. The bowl is engraved "Souvenir of the Anglo-Boer War, 1899-1900". The rifle is very detailed, even the strap holes and buckle are visible.The butt of the rifle is engraved Lee-Metford, and the bayonet connects the bowl to the rifle. The hallmarks are very clear, as is the registration number "Rd No 349937". A similar spoon is illustrated in the book "Boer War Memorabilia" by Pieter Oosthuizen, figure 8 on page 119. The Lee-Metford rifle was soon replaced by the Lee-Enfield, which had the advantage of smokeless powder.
A magnificent Scottish kilt sash brooch, used to hold the shoulder plaid in place. The brooch has cast thistles and celtic "buttons" surrounding a spectacular cairngorm (commonly known as citrine, also called black quartz or smoky quartz). The gemstone is very impressive, amongst the largest we have seen. It has been estimated at over 100 carats, and is a round brilliant cut. The hallmarks are clear, with retailers mark J.S.McL (McLeod we assume) overstriking the makers mark. Scottish citrine is called cairngorm after its place of origin in the Scottish Highlands, and is the November birthstone, also the symbol of brightness, life and hope.
A Liberty Cymric nail vanity set, complete with buff, tweezers, file, scissors, knife and shaper, all steel manicure tools with silver handles set with turquoise cabochons on each side (10 in total). Each piece is fully hallmarked with "L & Co" makers mark, townmark, date letter and sterling mark, but none have the "cymric" stamp, as they were probably too small. Handbeaten silver set with turquoise cabochons is classic Arts and Crafts, probably designed by Archibald Knox, who designed for Liberty until 1912. The scissors do not have cabochons, but are a lovely shape (unfortunately one steel tip is broken off). The nail buff has its original leather base, which is worn but still intact. This set matches item S 1361.
Delightful heart shaped vesta case in excellent condition, with engraved initials FVB. The hallmarks are very clear, the lid is also hallmarked. This case has a nice feel in the hand. Vesta cases (called matchsafes in USA) were used to carry wax vesta matches (predate safety matches), they were struck on the serrated edge of the case.
An Arts and Crafts silvergilt medallion, mounted on ivory, by Omar Ramsden, who is regarded as the leading English Arts and Crafts silversmith. The medallion is in classic Arts and Crafts style, and depicts a printing press surrounded by "LMPA", and surrounding scroll with "The London Master Printers Association". The medallion still has its original blue ribbon, with clasp in full working order, in its original fitted Garrard case.The box reads " By Appointment to HM the Queen, Goldsmiths and Crown Jewellers, Garrard & Co Ltd, 112 Regent Street, W1". The hallmarks are very clear, including OR makers mark, and the back is engraved "Omar Ramsden Me Fecit", translated Omar Ramsden made me, as is usual for his work.
An Arts and Crafts napkin ring set with 4 silver coins, by Charles Robert Ashbee, who was a major force behind the British Arts and Crafts movement. The napkin ring is hand beaten, and the rim has an attractive punched dot pattern. The 4 coins include: 1. Roman Denarius, 46BC, produced by the military mint travelling with Caesar in North Africa. Venus head on obverse, CAESAR, reverse has Aeneas holding his father Anchises on his shoulder, holding palladium in other hand. 2. Danish Krone (Christian IV), dated 1643 3. Danish Krone (Frederik III, brother of Christian IV), dated 1667 4. English shilling (George III), issued in 1787, with kings head in roman attire on obverse, 4 angular shields surrounding garter star, with crowns in angles of shields The hallmarks are very clear, including makers mark CRA in shaped shield. The napkin ring is in excellent condition, thanks to it being preserved in its original box (box is intact but in poor condition). We can only guess as to the origin of the napkin ring, p...
A pair of Russian silver and enamel teaspoons, with twisted stems and decorated enamel bowls and stems. These spoons are 88 grade silver as opposed to the commoner 84 grade, and were made in Moskow, as indicated by the delta (triangle) next to the Kokoshnik. The makers mark we believe to be that of Ivan Khlebnikov, an important maker who received the Imperial Warrant, and who specialised in enamel. The hallmarks are small but discernable. (Note: - as we are not experts in Russian silver, we cannot vouch for our identification).
