An interesting Guild of Handicraft silver preserve spoon, hand made by the Harts of Chipping Campden. The spoon has a Celtic inspired finial with interlocking raised flowers on a matt background, which gives a nice contrast. The upper spoon shaft has been shaped with 4 notches on either side, which adds to the design, and also catches the light, similar to bright cutting. The fig shaped bowl is planished (hand hammered) with the individual hammer marks visible of the back of the bowl (the front of the bowl is smooth). The spoon also has a diamond shaped rat-tail, which is raised. The hallmarks are clear, including G of H makers mark.
An interesting British Arts & Crafts medallion, which could be worn as a pendant. The pendant has the Manchester Coat of Arms, complete with sailing ship and globe signifying Manchester's world trade, with bees on the globe signifying the industrial revolution. The supporters include an antelope and lion, and the motto "Concilio et Labore", translated "By Wisdom and Effort". The medallion also has Arts and Crafts symbols, including hammer & anvil, paintboard and brush, and hammer & wheel. The back is engraved "Awarded to Mabel Maynard for Miniature Painting, Manchester April 1901". The hallmarks are clear, and the loop is also hallmarked.
A matching set consisting of a Cape Silver tablefork and dessertfork, in the Old English pattern, with matching contemporary initials DJ, probably the original owner. The initials are engraved on the back of the forks, in Georgian style. Both forks are good quality, with long tines, and are a good weight. The hallmarks on both are excellent, very well struck and clear, consisting of makers mark IC between the shell and ladder devices used by Combrink. It is interesting to note that the devices are not struck in the same order, so their placement by the silversmith was probably random. This is a combination of marks 26 - 28 in Cape Silver by Welz. Combrink was a member of the well regarded Combrink family of Cape silversmiths.
Basting spoon in early Old English Pattern, with an elegant narrow handle. In later Old English Pattern the handles flatten out. Basting spoons, sometimes called Turkey spoons, are ideal for use as large serving spoons. The hallmarks are clear, although the makers mark is partially worn, only the GS is visible.
Scottish Fiddle pattern table forks, appear unused, with tines in excellent condition. Very clear hallmarks.
Spot hammered 3 piece travelling shaving brush, the brush screws into the holder when in use. All 3 pieces are individually hallmarked.
Pair of bright cut Hester Bateman sugar tongs with very clear hallmarks. Decoration swag and wrigglework with initials JR on bow.
A lovely set of replica lace back trefid coffee spoons, perfectly preserved on original box, they do not appear to have been used. They are decorated in traditional style, both on the front of the stems and back of the bowls. The rat-tail is ribbed, the floral scrolls in relief are elaborate, with the pattern on the front matching the lace back back of bowl. The spoons ends also have the traditional notched pattern. All 6 spoons also have clear hallmarks, with FH makers mark for Francis Howard Ltd, who worked between 1900 and 2012. They are in their original box marked "H Perovetz Ltd, 51 Chancery Lane, London WC 2", Perovetz were leading London silver dealers until 1995. The set is also accompanied with its original explanatory card, "Sterling silver Charles II Trifid Lace Back spoon c1680", with notes on the spoon history, description, and explanation of all the hallmarks.
An interesting Roman silver Ligula (or spatula), used for getting cosmetics (or medicinal products) out of long necked jars (balsamaries). The ligula has a rounded shaft with a slight knob on the end, a baluster decoration on the stem (perhaps to improve grip), and a feather or leaf shaped bowl, the 2 sides joined at a 135 degree angle. The bowl also has 3 curved engraved lines, possibly for decoration. The stem is quite rough to the feel (the opposite of smooth and even), it has a number of knocks, small cracks and holes, and discouloured patches, perhaps the result of a long and rough life, but we feel more likely from impurities in the silver when it was made (we welcome opinions, this is certainly not our area of expertise, thanks)
Stunning pair of very good quality 2 pronged pickle forks of 800 purity, with a beautiful jugendstil design on both the back and the front of the forks, and horseshoe pattern above the prongs. The box is intact, but showing signs of its age. The hallmarks are very clear, depicting the German moon, crown, 800 purity and a double headed eagle, the makers mark for Bruckmann. Bruckmann were the largest silver producer in Germany, and were noted for their Jugendstil designs.
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 set of 6 Art Deco sterling silver coffee spoons, well preserved in original half moon box. The spoons have horseshoe shape bowls, and classic Art Deco finials, the 4 tower shape. All 6 spoons have clear hallmarks. The box is also lovely, half oval fan shape. Both box and spoons are small and dainty, smaller than most spoon boxes.
A lovely set of Art Deco silver grapefruit spoons, with unusual and decorative pierced terminals. The spoons are good quality and a pleasing weight, a pleasure to use on a grapefruit. The piercing is robust, these spoons are very suitable for use. The hallmarks are clear on all 6 spoons. The spoons also have a registration mark, RD 787919, which indicates the design was registered and protected by the patent office. Cooper Brothers worked between 1900 and 1979.
An antique sterling silver thimble, size 10, with a panelled gold band over the sterling silver. The panelled bands alternate between larger concave panels and smaller convex panels, with a decorative floral band between each panel. The interior of the thimble is marked "10, STERLING, and anchor", and the gold panelling is marked with makers mark SBC, with a large S, and smaller B and C inside the S. This is the mark for Stern Brothers & Co of Philadelphia, who were well regarded makers of antique silver thimbles. Stern used the combination of the SBC makers mark and anchor between 1908 and 1912, hence we can accurately date this thimble. Prior to 1908 they only used the anchor, after 1912 they used a GBC makers mark, as the firm changed names to Goldsmith Stern. They folded in 1933, a victim of the great depression. We had previously incorrectly ascribed this mark to Simon Brothers, also thimble manufacturers of Philadelphia.
A typical Art Nouveau silver belt buckle, probably a nurses belt buckle. The buckle is an interesting shape, and has an Art Nouveau Female head, with flowing locks and flower in hair. The head is actually a separate piece of silver, also hallmarked, which provides depth to the buckle. The buckle is also engraved with different flowers and leaves.
Typical Scottish silver toddy ladle, in the Fiddle pattern, with engraved initail P. The ladle was made by Andrew Wilkie, a Dundee silversmith, but was assayed in Edinburgh. Silver by Wilkie is found with both Dundee marks (pot of lilies) and with Edinburgh marks, as is the case with other Scottish provincial silversmiths, brought about by the imposition of duty on hallmarked silver. According to Turner (Directory of Scottish provincial silversmiths and their marks), certain makers had a proportion of their silver fully stamped in Edinburgh, to keep their registration as a silversmith valid - and to keep the Revenue service happy that duty was being paid.
Engine turned vinaigrette with beautiful grille. The cartouche is initialled with initial T, the base has bright cut wrigglework with flowerhead. The interior is gilt. Joseph Willmore is described by Eric Delieb (Silver Boxes) as "a superlative silversmith, who worked in the trade for almost half a century".
Beautiful pair of Fiddle pattern Cape salt spoons. Vos died age 27 in 1862, having been a silversmith for 8 years at 127 Long street in Cape Town. Very clear hallmarks showing makers initials, in hexagonal outline, and pseudo English sterling and duty mark.
A Scottish provincial toddy ladle in the Old English pattern, with circular bowl and a long, elegant, curving handle. The ladle is engraved with script initials AP, which are contemporary. The hallmarks include makers mark DM struck twice, either side of the Dundee town mark, a "Pot of Lilies". The pot of lilies is the arms of the burgh of Dundee (Jackson pg 598), the pot has 2 handles, clearly visible here. The hallmarks are clear, with slight wear to the lilies at the top of the mark. David Manson worked between 1809 and 1818, his work is quite rare.
A Indian Colonial silver tablespoon in the Fiddle pattern, slightly larger and heavier than most tablespoons. Ths spoon has a good feel, nicely weighted when used, and clearly hand made. The spoon has no engraving, or any sign of engraving being removed. The hallmarks are clear, and include makers mark P&Co. for Pittar & Co, pseudo lion passant, pseudo date letter A and tally mark number 17 from the book "Indian Colonial Silver" by Wynyard Wilkinson, page 170. Arthur Pittar & Co. worked between 1825 and 1848 in Calcutta, a similar tablespoon, but 2 centimetres shorter, is depicted on page 104. They were primarily diamond and jewel merchants, but clearly made good quality flatware and holloware. They imported a die press for manufacture of Fiddle pattern flatware in 1842, we believe this spoon predates that, given it's unusual size.
