The silver and objects of vertu section of the sale features an interesting array of items sure to appeal to a wide range of buyers. The objects of vertu in the sale includes ever-popular items such as vinaigrettes, vesta-cases and a number of scent-bottles. Among the scent-bottles are rarities such as a Victorian silver-mounted onyx compressed circular example by Sampson Mordan, marked for London, 1889 and sold with a porcelain ovoid scent-bottle, lot 112. There is also a collection of five silver-mounted ceramic examples, each with painted decoration, lot 111. Other items of note in this section are an Old Sheffield plate snuff-box in the form of a horse’s head, lot 119 and gold items such as Parker pens, lot 120 and a gold comb-case, lot 89.
The silver on offer comes in many different shapes and styles, including the Art Nouveau style such as a three-piece tea-service by Charles Clement Pilling of Sheffield and a mug made by William Hutton and Sons and probably designed by Kate Harris. There are also novelty silver items in the sale such as a charming set of four salt-cellars by John Collard Vickery, each formed as a Sussex trug, the traditional wooden basket that dates back to at least the 16th century but which became particularly popular in the 19th century, lot 23. Another example of silver copying wooden forms is a Mether Cup, a traditional Irish vessel, made by Alexander Clark and Co. Ltd in 1926, lot 29.
A large majority of the items in the sale are items which are useful for around the home. Not only are there a variety of tea and coffee-wares, salvers and bowls but there are also good examples of silver lighting such as a set of three silver plate two-light wall-sconces. These examples are made in the 20th century after originals from the beginning of the 18th century, lot 121. Other lighting in the sale includes a pair of two-light candelabra by Fordham and Faulkner, lot 8; a pair of Corinthian column candlesticks by William (Birmingham) Ltd., hallmarked for 1920, lot 24, and a pair of Old Sheffield Plate examples from the first half of the 19th century, lot 26.
There are also many items of flatware in the sale with everything from silver plate table-services to individual pieces. Of particular note among the flatware is a collection of sugar-tongs, including Scottish provincial examples from towns such as Aberdeen, Arbroath, Dumfries, Greenock and Montrose as well as an Irish provincial pair by John Seymour of Cork, lot 101. Among the other flatware are a wide variety of patterns including Hanoverian, Old English and Fiddle and from as early as the reign of George II.
Elsewhere in the sale there is a good mix of affordable traditional art and antiques, jewellery, watches, furniture and more.
Auction
Category
Asian Ceramics and Works of Art (16)
Beswick and Border Fine Art (7)
Books, Maps and Manuscripts (14)
British and European Ceramics (49)
British and European Glass (12)
Carpets, Rugs and Tapestries (10)
Costume, Accessories and Textiles (28)
Garden Furniture and Statuary (12)
Modern & Contemporary Art (22)
Natural History and Taxidermy (17)
Silver Collectables, Objects of Vertu & Gold (22)
Stamps, Postcards and Postal History (2)
Artist/Maker/Brand