An interesting and unusual antique sterling silver gilded Christening mug, with textured body and ox eye eye handle. The mug is great quality, a good weight, and in excellent condition. The textured body is caused by thousands of circular punch marks, all applied by hand, the mug has a border and sits on a circular raised foot. The circular ox eye handle replicates a 17th century style, found on College presentation cups at Oxford. Both the interior and exterior have original gilding, this is a rich colour, the base and top rim are not gilded. The base is engraved "Thomas, 153 New Bond St", underneath Crown and Prince of Wales feathers, trademarks of FB Thomas. The hallmarks are very clear, but the feather over FBT makers mark is obscured. F.B. Thomas & Co. was a well known firm of retail silversmiths, established in 1759. Francis Boone Thomas joined the firm aged 21 in 1851, he took control in 1871, he died age 71 in 1900. The firm traded until 1941 when it was severely damaged in an air raid during World Wa...

A fabulous Belle Epoque French silver 950 standard flatware set for 6, in the beautiful Louis XV pattern, by renowned Parisian silversmith Emile Puiforcat. This 12 piece luncheon or dessert set has 6 spoons and forks, finely decorated on both sides with scrolls and foliage, the pattern also extends around the top of the bowls, which is quite unusual. Louis XV is an early Puiforcat pattern, long out of production, so rarely seen today. The spoons and forks are lovely quality, the forks have long elegant tines, and are in excellent condition, with no monogrammes. Two hallmarks are present, makers mark EP in diamond lozenge, with penknife (un canif) between the letters, and French Minerve 1st Standard mark, with 1 next to forehead, indicating 950 purity (so higher purity than sterling 925). 4 Spoons and 4 forks have both marks clearly struck, 2 spoons and 2 forks have no hallmarks. Emile Puiforcat established his business in 1857 at 18 Rue Chapon, it still exists today and is known as of of the leading French si...

An extremely rare Cape silver knife, with ivory handle and engraved on the blade "EHM from HOM". The hallmarks are extremely clear, pseudo - English duty mark and castle, with makers mark JML (mark 82 in Welz, Cape Silver). These are accompanied by another mark, some sort of device, unrecorded in Welz. The knife is very well made, good quality and a pleasing weight. The ivory handle shows good texture and a changing colour from dark to light. The knife is extremely rare, being the only known example recorded to date. The leading authority on Cape Silver Stephan Welz said "I have been unable to trace any Cape silver knives" (Cape Silver pg 73), and David Heller said "the only type of silver knife in use at the Cape seems to have been the butter knife (History of Cape Silver, pg 202). Johannes Lotter was part of the highly regarded Lotter family of Cape silversmiths, being the son of Willem and the brother of Carel.

An early Victorian cast silver caddy spoon, with beautifully detailed vines, leaves and grapes. The spoon has an oval shaped bowl with pointed bowl end, the handle realistically modelled. The back of the bowl is partially covered with vine leaf and grapes. The hallmarks are clear, including date letter for 1844 and makers mark CR/WS for Charles Rawlings and William Summers, a well known business that traded between 1829 and 1897. They are known for very fine snuff boxes, wine labels and small items.

A magnificent Hanau silver serving spoon, commemorating the 100 year anniversary of Frederick the Great (Frederick II of Prussia), whose nickname was "Der Alte Fritz" (Old Fritz). The handle of the spoon is a very detailed full length cast figure, with detail on both the back and front. Frederick is standing on a plinth with the dates "1740-1786", the dates he reigned, on top of the Imperial Prussian Eagle and Crown. The spoon bowl (also cast) is heart shaped, with decorative flowers and foliage. The spoon is excellent quality, suitable for display or use. Frederick, also Prince Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, modernised the Prussian army and won military acclaim, so much so that even Napoleon regarded him as one of the greatest tactical geniuses of his time. J.D. Schleissner & Sohne were Hanau's "pre-eminant producer of antique style silverware in the latter 19th century (www.925-1000.com), they exhibited at the 1893 Chicago and 1904 St Louis international expositions. The hallmarks are clear, and inclu...

A delightful antique sterling silver hedgehog pillbox, made in Germany circa 1900 by Gebruder Kuhn of Schwabisch Gmund. The hedgehog is realistically modelled, his quills and textured tummy give a lovely feel to the box. This is a quality item, well modelled, and the hinge and clasp work extremely well, no chance of pills falling out. The tail acts as a thumbpiece, the lid is clearly hallmarked on the interior. Gebruder Kuhn was established in 1860, in 1900 they were awarded a silver medal at the Paris World Fair, in 1911 the received the Grand Prix at the World Expo in Turin, by 1918 they had 300 employees. The Unicorn hallmark is from the Schwabisch Gmund coat of arms.

A lovely late Victorian American Sterling silver hand mirror, by the highly regarded Gorham company. The mirror is embossed in deep relief with roses, with very fine detail. The quality is exceptional, this is a lovely item, a real work of art by a master craftsman. The hallmarks are clear, the Gorham Lion, Anchor and Gothic G, "Sterling" and date letter O.

An interesting set of 6 Victorian silver teapoons and matching sugartongs, with a 15th Century soldier carrying a halberd. This appears to be a private pattern, we have not been able to trace it in the pattern books (all assistance welcome). The pattern is very detailed, both on the front and the back, we love these spoons. In addition to the soldier, complete with collar, the front has what could be an apple tree, the back has a shield (unengraved, intended for family crest) and a different flowering plant, with a stipple background. The spoons and tongs are also great quality and a good weight, as one would expect from Elkington. All 7 pieces are clearly hallmarked, they also carry a registration mark "RD105810", so Elkington protected the design. All the spoons are 1892, the tongs are 1893. Elkington was one of the leading British Silversmiths in the 19 and 20th centuries, they were founded in 1836, and are known for their excellent quality. Note - We have now identified this pattern as "Tudor Men & Women"...

A Cape silver salt spoon, in the Fiddle pattern, with original gilded bowl. The original gilding is a light lemon colour, worn and scratched from use, but still clearly visible and quite charming. The hallmarks are clear, and include makers mark PD for Peter Clarke Daniel, alongside pseudo hallmarks date letter B in indented punch, date letter a and Georgian duty mark (Welz mark 41, page 148, Cape Silver). The presence of 2 different pseudo date letters is unusual, it appears Daniel was the only Cape silversmith who did this, perhaps he lacked understanding of the English hallmarking system. An original owners cross hatch scratch mark is also visible below makers mark, this is small and does not detract. Peter Clarke Daniel was born in Dublin, he arrived in the Cape with the 1820 settlers as a child.

An extremely rare Victorian silver Palm pattern butter knife, with initial W. Pickford describes the rarity of Palm pattern in his book "Silver Flatware", pg 148, this is the only Palm pattern butter knife we have seen. The hallmarks are clear, but the makers mark is worn. 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.

An interesting ornate antique silver belt buckle, with a cast "devils head" complete with horns, moustache, beard and toothy grin, which has been applied on a pierced background, complete with stylised lions heads and scrolling foliage. We imagine the buckle has some significance, perhaps to commemorate a popular opera or play at the time. Devils and demons were often portrayed on silver items in late Victorian times, some examples can be seen on the Acsas website (http://www.ascasonline.org/windowD20.html). Both parts of the buckle are hallmarked, the hallmarks are small but clear. The makers makr is HB cojoined. Hayes Brothers (William and Harry) worked from 73 Great Hampton Street, Birmingham, between 1889 and 1896, they specialised in buckles and small silver objects.

A magnificent Scottish kilt sash brooch, used to hold the shoulder plaid in place. The brooch has cast thistles and leavesin the outer rim, engraved celtic design in inner rim, 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 makers mark R&HBK for Robert and Henry Bruce Kirkwood, who worked between 1882 and 1900. 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. Note - We sold a similar Scottish Silver Kilt Sash Brooch S 1372, this brooch S 1968 is larger, heavier and the cairngorm is also larger.

A fabulous silver and enamel advertising cigarette case, featuring the famous English cricketer W.G. Grace. The case is rectangular, and is beautifully engraved with scrolling foliage, the quality is excellent. The interior is gilded, and has 2 elaborately pierced and engraved arms, both with hinges. The oval enamel plaque features Grace walking down the pavilion steps out to bat, carrying his bat, in striped MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) hat, and the words "Like Grace" across his chest. Spectators can be seen in the background, the colours are superb. Both lid, base and 2 arms are clearly hallmarked, the makers mark A&J.Z is clear on both arms but worn on the case. The image is a very faithful copy of a Colman's Mustard advertising poster, which reads "Colman's Mustard, Like Grace, Heads the Field (see picture), circa 1895. This is a historic poster and image, as it represents the first time a sportsman had been used to advertise a general product. Colman's mustard was founded in 1814, and is one of the old...

An antique Dutch silver miniature horse and carriage, made in Hoorn late 19th century. The carriage is drawn by 2 prancing horses, with good detail, ropes and whip all intact. The quality is excellent, very solid, just under 100 grammes, so quite heavy for a miniature. The carriage has a driver and guard standing at the rear, and 2 passengers inside. The carriage is attractively engraved, and all 4 wheels turn perfectly. All 4 wheels are hallmarked with the Dutch dagger, used between 1814 and 1953. The carriage bar connecting to the horses also has the Dutch dagger, along with clear makers mark V.S.39, for Gebruder (Brothers) van Straten, who worked in Hoorn between 1885 and 1891 (Netherlands Responsibility Marks Since 1797, mark 20717). The Gebruder van Straten appear to have specialised in miniatures, a number are now in the collection of various museums. A set of miniature chairs and table by the Gebruder Van Straten was formerly in the collection of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, sold at a Sotheby's Ch...

An interesting solid silver figure of a musician playing a trumpet, decorated with coloured cabochon "jewels" in red, blue and green. The figure is beautifully modelled, the detail is astounding, clearly the work of a master craftsman. A total of 21 cabochons are present, we assume they are paste of glass, to simulate rubies, sapphires and emeralds, the cabochon in the hat is larger than the others. The texturing of the hat, hair and stockings is all done by hand. Their are traces of gilding on the figure, at end of trumpet and under coat. The figure only has one hallmark, a clear 13 in shield, quite a stylised 3, this is for 13 Loth silver, or 812 standard, used in Germany prior to 1888, hence our dating of the figure as circa 1880. Whilst no makers mark is present, we are confident it originates in Hanau, Germany, where a number of similar bejewelled figures were made, including a number of musicians. A number can be seen on the Pushkin Antiques website, www.pushkinantiques.com, in the archive/ sold section...

An early antique silver vesta case, with an applied cast golfer in full swing. The vesta is rectangular, with applied strike plate on the bottom of the vesta, the hinge lid has a suspension loop for adding to a chain. Dated 1886 this is an early vesta case, most vestas date between 1890 and 1920. The hallmarks are clear, and include makers mark WG/JL (William Gibson & John Lawrence Langman) of Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Co of Regent Street, a very prestigious firm founded in 1882, now the designated house of Crown Jewellers Garrards, following amalgamation in 1952 (both part of Sears via Mappin & Webb). John Langman was an interesting personality, he equipped and maintained the Langham Field Hospital during the Boer War (Culme, Directory of Gold and Silversmiths, page 184).

A set of 6 antique silver teaspoons, with finials modelled as British soldiers at the time of the Boer War, described as "Soldiers of the Queen" when originally produced. We believe these spoons were produced to raise funds for the war effort. The soldiers are well modelled, back and front, with good detail, including moustache, chest cross band and putties. The spoons are gilded, and have twisted stems. All 6 spoons are clearly hallmarked on the back of the bowls for Birmingham 1900, this includes a registration mark Rd 352723, which indicates Devenport protected their design. To us the soldiers look like they are wearing the red British uniform with white cross in use at the start of the Boer War, before the change to Khaki to provide better camoflage. British soldiers in red with a white cross on their chests made inviting targets to the Boer marksmen.

An antique silver miniature furniture cabinet, in 18th century style, made in Hanau by Simon Rosenau and imported into London by David Bridge in 1892. The cabinet has lovely detail, the hinged doors and 2 drawers are in full working order. The cabinet doors and sides are decorated with farming scenes, a woman collecting water, raking and carrying a tray, and a man with basket full of produce. Scrolls complete the design, the cabinet stands on 4 S shaped feet, the drawers have ring pulls and the door has a handle. The base of the cabinet and base of largest drawer have Hanau hallmarks, a clear SR under crown makers mark, clear 930 standard mark (so slightly purer than sterling 925), less clear German moon and crown mark, and a 4th indistinct mark. The back of the cabinet has very clear London import marks for 1892 and Importers mark DB for David Bridge. Simon Rosenau worked in Bad Kissingen from 1862-1932, he supplied antiques to the Royal Bavarian court. His son took over the business in the 1890's, he was d...

A beautiful Kutch Indian silver salver, wih stunning decoration, clearly made by a master craftsman. The salver has a central boss which is unengraved, surrounded by a typically Kutch style repousse (embossed) foliate design, with flowers, rims of leaves and gadrooned borders. This has hundreds of individual punch marks, so clearly made by hand. The central portion is surrounded by a pierced border, with more scrolls and flowers, and an additional cast applied border, also of scrolls, in addition to being extremely decorative this also strengthens the rim and provides grip. The rear of the salver clearly shows the repousse work, and where the cast rim has been soldered on. No hallmarks are present, as is usual for Indian silver of this period. These small salvers were used by servants to present visitors calling cards, or to serve a small drink (for example sherry). A very similar salver, made by the reknowned Oomersi Mawji, can be seen on the website "Indian Silver from the Raj" by Harish Patel, see http://s...

A very fine Indian silver card case, magnificently decorated, clearly made by a master craftsman. One side features the Hindu Goddess Durga astride a lion, with sword in air, she is surrounded by 2 other deities, an antelope, a leopard, a lion mask and 5 birds, one is a peacock, the 2 at the bottom could be phoenix?, all surrounded by scrolls. The reverse side is equally impressive, and features an Indian deity in a temple, surrounded by 6 other deities (some with wings), 2 birds above a blank cartouche for engraved initials, and a variety of fruit and flowers (including berries, strawberry and a thistle). The case is rectangular in shape, the lid pulls off, the fit is very snug, the decoration is seamless through the divide. The sides of the case has 6 symmetrical tube shaped protusions on either side, this is for improved grip, we have noted this feature on other high quality Indian silver card cases. As is usual for Indian silver, there are no hallmarks present. As you can see from the photographs, the qua...