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| Antique Scottish Silver Traprain Treasure Bottle Stand, with Original Glass Oil Bottle - George Edward & Sons
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Reference: S11333
Period: George V
Year: 1919
Silversmith: George Edward & Sons
Place: Glasgow
Price: $ 920.00
Weight: 376 including glass grams
Dimensions: 14 cm height, base diameter 6.5 cm
Condition: Excellent, just wear to base. Glass perfect, no chips. Cork stopper missing.
Description: An interesting Scottish silver Traprain Treasure bottle stand, made by leading Glaswegian silversmiths George Edward & Sons in 1919, complete with original glass oil bottle. The stand is circular, and has an attached drip tray, so very practical for use. What makes this bottle stand exceptional is the handles, 2 semi circular serpents or birds head figural terminals, complete with snake like tail attachment to the stand. These are reproductions of spoon finials found in the Traprain treasure law hoard, which was discovered by George Pringle at Traprain Law, East Lothian, in 1919. The hoard dates from 400 AD, and consisted of 160 pieces, mostly cut up ready for melting. The Traprain treasure is now in the National Museum of Scotland (source is www.romanscotland.org.uk, well worth a visit). William Brook of Brook & Son, Edinburgh, who would have competed with George Edward & Sons for business, was the silversmith involved in conserving and trying to reconstruct the original pieces, he then gained permission for Brook & Son to produce authorised reproductions. These included salts, dishes, bowls and spoons, most were stamped "Traprain Treasure 1919 Authorised Reproduction". A Brook & Son catalogue of their work, featuring Traprain Treasure reproductions, is now visible in the research section of www.petercameronantiquesilver.com. The hallmarks for Glasgow 1919 are clear, the makers mark GE/AE for George and Arthur Edward is worn but still visible. The glass bottle is firmly fixed in the stand, it does not come out. George Edward & Sons was established in 1838, they were leading Glasow retail jewellers and silversmiths until they sold to Mappin and Webb in 1963, after a streak of bad luck that included a fire, robberies and heavy death duties (Culme, Directory of Gold and Silversmiths, page 136). They opened a London branch in 1874, and supplied the gold Freedom casket presented to the explorer H M Stanley by the city of London in 1887. Whilst the Edinburgh firm of Brook & Son are well known for their Traprain treasure authorised reproductions, we have not seen examples from other makers, so we assume this is a rare example made by an innovative silversmith seeking to capitalise on the Traprain discovery that captured the imagination of the Scottish public. Note - A leading expert in Scottish silver has pointed out some differences in the birds head (missing ball from beak and beard), and also the early date, before the findings about the discovery were published, and postulated that this item may not be Traprain, but similar by co-incidence.
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Antique Scottish Silver Traprain Treasure Bottle Stand, with Original Glass Oil Bottle
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Scottish Silver Traprain Treasure Bottle Stand
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Traprain Treasure Bottle Stand
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Traprain treasure serpent or birds head
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George Edward & Sons, Glasgow 1919 silver hallmarks
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Traprain treasure oil bottle with scale
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