A fabulous early Georgian Rococo shell shaped punch ladle, in the shape of a conch shell. The ladle is embossed and engraved in typical Rococo style with a bird (peacock?) eating fruit (grapes and a pear), alongside a brick chimney with flames? at the top, surrounded with scrolls, shells, flowers and leaves. The shape of the shell and quality of the embossing and engraving is very pleasing. The shell is connected to the silver handle base with cast silver scrolls at right angles to the shell, the handle itself is turned wooden handle. The ladle is held hanging vertically, the the shape of the shell and pouring lip makes it very practical to use. The base of the handle is engraved with original owners initials A over T.T. The ladle is hallmarked with London hallmarks for 1752, and makers marks PR for Philip Roker II (Grimwade mark 3754). As all 4 marks are struck on a curved surface they are all unevenly struck, clear on the right but slightly obscured on the left, all visible enough but the makers mark could ...

A rare Cape Silver lemoen lepel (orange spoon) and matching konfyt fork (preserve), no sets like this one are recorded in the Cape silver reference books, but we have previously sold a similar set (S1812). Neither the spoon nor fork are hallmarked, but the style and decoration of them leave no doubt they are Cape in origin. The spoon is the traditional elegant lemoen lepel shape, with narrow, pointed boat shaped bowl, rounded drop, and triangular terminal. The matching fork has 4 tines, both feature matching traditional Cape prick engraving with a 8 pointed star. Both are punched with initials DM, we assume the original owner. Welz describes orange spoons as "probably the most attractive type of spoon made at the Cape, derived from Dutch spoons", pg. 95. He also notes that all known examples are by Cape born silversmiths of the early 19th century (so not made by the more prolific English immigrants who arrived after 1815). Heller, in his book History of Cape Silver, describes orange spoons as "exquisite". Mo...

A rare Cape silver table fork in the Fiddle and Shell pattern, examples are known to exist but these are regarded as rare. The fork is single struck (pattern only on the front), the shell is a lovely feature. A similar example is depicted the book "Further Researches in Cape Silver" by David Heller, page 68, plate 13, also made by Lawrence Twentyman. English versions of this pattern are also scarce, mostly made in Scotland and Newcastle, London versions are rare (Pickford, Silver Flatware, page 114). The hallmarks are clear, makers mark LT and 4 pseudo hallmarks (crowned leopard's head town mark, date letter a, duty mark and lion passant), this is mark 135 in Cape Silver by Welz. Note: We have 2 other examples of this fork, S 11435 and S 11436.

An extremely rare Cape silver table fork in the Fiddle Thread without Shoulders pattern, this is only the 2nd time we have seen this pattern, see 2 dessert spoons S 11120 and S 11121 which we have already sold. David Heller, in his book History of Cape Silver Vol. 1, depicts a spoon in the same pattern (plate 50, page 124) and a similar 3 tined fork (Plate 61, page 146), these are the only examples we can find in the literature. The fork is double struck (pattern on both sides), and has a single thread, but notably without the usual shoulder where the bowl joins the handle. The fork also has a long drop, with an unusual curve, showing this fork was hand made. The fork is lovely quality, a pleasing weight, and is in excellent condition. The hallmarks are excellent, a variant of mark 138 in Cape Silver by Welz, Castle, date letter C, and Georgian duty mark, with makers mark LT, all well struck. We have 2 matching forks, S 11432 and S 11433. A close examination of all 3 forks shows slight differences to the dro...

A rare pointed terminal cape silver konfyt fork (preserve fork), that matches the celebrated Cape silver lemoen lepels (orange spoons). The fork has 4 tines, pointed terminal, and traditional Cape bright cut prick engraving, two wavy lines around the edge of the handle. The spoon is clearly hallmarked with makers mark IL (Welz mark 71 in Cape Silver), and also has original owners stamped mark HB. This fork matches S11467, the matched set of konfyt fork and lemoen lepel. Jan Lotter, who was regarded by Heller in his book "History of Cape Silver" as "a highly skilled craftsman", only worked for 4 years between 1813 and 1817, so he probably died young. He made most of the prized Cape silver "lemoenlepels" (orange spoons) known to exist today, and know we know he made matching forks. He worked from 22 Keerom Street, Cape Town.

An extremely rare Cape silver table fork in the Fiddle Thread without Shoulders pattern, this is only the 2nd time we have seen this pattern, see 2 dessert spoons S 11120 and S 11121 which we have already sold. David Heller, in his book History of Cape Silver Vol. 1, depicts a spoon in the same pattern (plate 50, page 124) and a similar 3 tined fork (Plate 61, page 146), these are the only examples we can find in the literature. The fork is double struck (pattern on both sides), and has a single thread, but notably without the usual shoulder where the bowl joins the handle. The fork also has a long drop, with an unusual curve, showing this fork was hand made. The fork is lovely quality, a pleasing weight, and is in excellent condition. The hallmarks are excellent, a variant of mark 138 in Cape Silver by Welz, Castle, date letter C, and Georgian duty mark, with makers mark LT, all well struck. We have 2 matching forks, S 11432 and S 11434. A close examination of all 3 forks shows slight differences to the dro...

A set of 6 Gorham sterling silver dessert sized forks in the Strasbourg pattern, first launched in 1897. The forks are fabulous quality, as you would expect from Gorham, and are in excellent condition and without any monograms or engraving. The forks have 4 tines, these would be described as salad forks in the USA. The beautiful and graceful Strasbourg pattern is inspired by French rococo style, with a series of different sized scrolls, with shells on the finials and heels. Strasbourg, designed by William Codman who was Gorham's chief designer from 1891-1914, is described by Gorham as "one of the best loved of all Gorham designs", and according to Pinterest it was used on Air Force One, (U.S. Presidents aeroplane). All 6 forks are clearly hallmarked with the Gorham lion, anchor and gothic G, alongside STERLING and PAT. 1897. They also have an additional T hallmark, we believe this was used briefly by Gorham at the turn of the century, to denote a specific weight (T for Trade, H for Heavy). Gorham Corporatio...

A rare Straight Tudor pattern sifter ladle, made by Chawner & Co, the leading flatware maker of Victorian England. The ladle is fabulous quality, and in excellent condition, without engraving. The piercing in the bowl is lovely, a central flower surrounded by scrolls, changing to leaves on the side. The Straight Tudor pattern is a Gothic Revival pattern, note the omission of 2 small scroll circular projections on each side of the stem, this differentiates it from the "Tudor" pattern. The sifter ladle is clearly hallmarked, it also carries the British Registry design number and date chart diamond, which rarely occurs on silver flatware - class I for metal, date letter v for 1850. The presence of the design mark indicates that Chawner protected the design to protect it being copied. Tudor is described by Pickford (Silver Flatware page 150) as "a rare Chawner & Co pattern registered August 14th 1850, along with Straight Tudor, it appears in the Chawner Pattern book (page 218). Odd pieces may on rare occasions, ...

A rare Cape Silver lemoen lepel (orange spoon) and matching konfyt fork (preserve), none are recorded in the Cape silver reference books, but we have previously sold a similar pair (S1812). The spoon is the traditional elegant lemoen lepel shape, with narrow, pointed boat shaped bowl, v shaped drop, and triangular terminal. The matching fork has 4 tines, both feature traditional Cape prick engraving, 2 wavy rows around the border of the handles. Both are clearly hallmarked with makers mark IL in rectangular punch with rounded corners for Jan Lotter (makers mark 71 in Cape Silver by Welz), and are also punched with initials HB, we assume the original owner. Welz describes orange spoons as "probably the most attractive type of spoon made at the Cape, derived from Dutch spoons", page 95. He also notes that all known examples are by Cape born silversmiths of the early 19th century (so not made by the more prolific English immigrants who arrived after 1815). Heller, in his book History of Cape Silver, describes or...

A beautiful and thought provoking pair of German silver sugar tongs, with the words "Zum Andenken" cast into the bow (translated "In Memory Of"). The tongs have 2 distinct parts, the top half has a strip with the words Zum Andenken between highly decorated flowers, surrounded by scrolling filigree work, the detail and amount of work is astounding, the bottom half have pressed acanthus leaves for the arms, with the tong bowls in the shape of hands holding 3 flower buds. The tongs are delicate but are in remarkably good condition, we assume the have been treasured and well looked after. The tongs have 2 hallmarks, a clear 13 for 13 Loth silver (813 grade), this was used before 1886. The second mark is small and distinct but we cannot identify it, possibly an animal head?, we assume it is either a city mark or makers mark. These tongs are probably "Memento Mori", and would have been presented at a funeral. This style of highly decorative German silver is typical of the Biedermeier period in central Europe (1815-...

A rare Tudor pattern Child's size spoon and fork, made by Chawner & Co, the leading flatware maker of Victorian England. They are not an exact set, the spoon was made in 1850 and is engraved with owners initials WM in flowing script, the fork was made in 1851 and is engraved with owners initials FB in Gothic capitals, but otherwise they match well and make a useful set, very suitable as a Christening present. The Tudor pattern is a Gothic Revival pattern, it has 2 small scroll circular projections on each side of the stem, this differentiates it from the "Straight Tudor" pattern. Both are clearly hallmarked, and both have a journeyman's mark - R on spoon and I on the fork. In addition, both also carries the British Registry design number and date chart diamond, which rarely occurs on silver flatware. The presence of the design mark indicates that Chawner registered the design to protect it being copied. Tudor is described by Pickford (Silver Flatware page 150) as "a rare Chawner & Co pattern registered Augus...

A rare Cape silver table fork in the Fiddle and Shell pattern, examples are known to exist but these are regarded as rare. The fork is single struck (pattern only on the front), the shell is a lovely feature. A similar example is depicted the book "Further Researches in Cape Silver" by David Heller, page 68, plate 13, also made by Lawrence Twentyman. English versions of this pattern are also scarce, mostly made in Scotland and Newcastle, London versions are rare (Pickford, Silver Flatware, page 114). The hallmarks are clear, makers mark LT and 4 pseudo hallmarks (crowned leopard's head town mark, date letter a, duty mark and lion passant), this is mark 135 in Cape Silver by Welz. Note: We have 2 other examples of this fork, S 11435 and S 11437.

A Cape silver table fork in the Fiddle pattern, with very clear Cape silver pseudo hallmarks for Lawrence Twentyman. The fork is engraved with an interesting family crest, a wolf's head erased, the engraving is still clearly visible. The engraving is on the back of the fork, dating back to a time when forks were placed on the table with tines pointed down. The fork is clearly hallmarked with makers mark LT and 4 pseudo hallmarks, all struck individually, pseudo duty mark, pseudo date letter e, pseudo Edinburgh Castle town mark and bird. this is mark 131 in the book "Cape Silver and Silversmiths" by Stephan Welz, but struck in a different order. Lawrence Twentyman was the most prolific of all Cape silversmiths, he had the first shop on Heerengracht (now Adderley Street) with a shop window. He worked between 1818 and 1837.

A British Bulldog Club sterling silver trophy table fork, which is in good condition. The fork features a well modelled bulldog head, above legend "THE BRITISH BULLDOG CLUB". The fork is based on a single struck Kings pattern, but was specially commissioned by the club who wanted to present a more useful trophy than a medal. The club was established in 1892, and still operates today (although I doubt they still have such beautiful silver trophies!). The hallmarks are clear, this fork was made in Birmingham in 1936 by Fattorini & Sons, who specialized in medals and trophies. Note: We have another example of this Bulldog Club fork, S 11402.

An extremely rare Cape silver table fork in the Fiddle Thread without Shoulders pattern, this is only the 2nd time we have seen this pattern, see 2 dessert spoons S 11120 and S 11121 which we have already sold. David Heller, in his book History of Cape Silver Vol. 1, depicts a spoon in the same pattern (plate 50, page 124) and a similar 3 tined fork (Plate 61, page 146), these are the only examples we can find in the literature. The fork is double struck (pattern on both sides), and has a single thread, but notably without the usual shoulder where the bowl joins the handle. The fork also has a long drop, with an unusual curve, showing this fork was hand made. The fork is lovely quality, a pleasing weight, and is in excellent condition. The hallmarks are excellent, a variant of mark 138 in Cape Silver by Welz, Castle, date letter C, and Georgian duty mark, with makers mark LT, all well struck. We have 2 matching forks, S 11433 and S 11434. A close examination of all 3 forks shows slight differences to the dro...

A rare pair of Georgian silver Coburg pattern sugar tongs, made in 1825 by Randall Chatterton. The tongs have the Coburg pattern on both arms, the bow has never been engraved. The tongs have the usual oyster heel (oyster shell on the bowls). The quality and weight is very pleasing, at 68 grammes they are heavier than most sugar tongs, and the condition is excellent. The hallmarks are clear, including makers mark RC (Grimwade 2290), this mark is often confused with Richard Crossley, who worked until 1812. The Coburg pattern was "designed for Rundell, Bridge & Rundell in 1810, this rare pattern was made by Paul Storr and is perhaps the pattern for which he is best known" - Ian Pickford, Silver Flatware, page 134. The Coburg pattern was also depicted in the Chawner & Co. pattern book of 1875 (Silver Flatware page 220). Randall Chatterton was a spoon maker, he was freed in 1809 and worked until 1845. He is not recorded as a known maker of Georgian silver sugar tongs by Graham Hodges in his book "Georgian Silver S...

A beautiful set of 6 antique silver oyster forks, with gilded bowls, of outstanding quality and in excellent condition. The forks have a teaspoon shaped bowl, with 3 fat tines, and a cutting edge on one side, although this is not sharp, the bowls are also gilded front and back. The forks have Rococo handles with small flowers and foliage, this is model 195 from the Bruckmann & Sohne catalogue, first produced in 1896. The forks are also engraved with original owners initials GM, this engraving is also incredibly detailed, the work of a master craftsman. The forks are all clearly hallmarked with the German post 1888 crescent and crown, along with 800 standard mark and makers mark of eagle with spread wings. 4 of the forks are also hallmarked with retailers mark "Gutig" for C.F. Gutig of Leipzig, leading jewelers for over 150 years from 1783-1933. Bruckmann & Sohne of Heilbron worked between 1805 and 1968, at the time these beautiful forks were made they were the largest silversmith in Germany. Whilst these beau...

A beautiful pair of Adam style Georgian silver sugar tongs by Hester Bateman, the most famous 18th century female silversmith, she has also been described as the Queen of British silversmiths. This is an early pair of Hester Bateman tongs, probably 1778-1780, the design is quite restrained, a simple yet lovely bright cut flower on both sides, with an engraved border. An almost identical pair is depicted in the book "Georgian Silver Sugar Tongs" by Graham Hodges, page 55, figure 46, the engraved flower is slightly different, he describes the tongs as "Adam Style circa 1780". The tongs have original owners engraved initials FS on the bow. The hallmarks are clear, makers mark HB in script for Hester Bateman, and lion passant (tongs prior to 1784 only have the lion passant and makers mark. Hester Bateman took over her husband's business on his death in 1760, and retired in 1790 when her sons, Peter and Jonathan took over the business.

A Victorian sterling silver and Mother of Pearl (MOP) pocket fruit knife, engraved FRIARSQUAD on a silver insert in the MOP handle. The knife is the standard form, with folding sterling silver blade and MOP handle, it has a pleasing feel, an enjoyable object to carry around in your pocket. We are not certain as to the meaning of Friarsquad, all assistance welcome, it could be Friar Squad or Friars Quad, which now include sports teams and beer brands. The knife is clearly hallmarked with makers mark JYC for John Yeomans Cowlishaw, who is described in the book "Pocket Fruit Knives" by Simon Moore, page 158 as "remarkable". Moore says "knives at this time were top quality, using the foremost of pearl cutters, his (JYC) workshop produced some of the finest mid 19th century knives. He became a pillar of the Sheffield community, but died by his own hand in 1894, following the death of his wife". Other hallmarks include Sheffield town mark, lion passant and date letter P.

An extremely rare Victorian silver Palm pattern dessert fork, which is gilded, no engraving is present. Pickford describes the rarity of Palm pattern in his book "Silver Flatware", pg 148. The hallmarks are clear, including makers mark GA for George Adams of Chawner & Co, and in addition a journeyman's mark L is also clearly struck. Palm pattern appears in the Chawner & Co (George Adams) pattern books, who were the most important 19th century silver flatware makers. Please note we also have Palm pattern soup spoons (S1612), made by George Adams in 1876.