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 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 rare and interesting Dutch silver matchbox holder (or cover), a memento of the destruction of the Ypres Cloth Hall (Lakenhal) during the Great War (World War I), imported and retailed by Harrod's of London. The box is embossed with a detailed image of the Great Cloth Hall in Ypres, before it's destruction during the war. The box reads "YPRES LES HALLES 1914". The gauge of silver is quite thin, and the box has been well used and damaged, 3 of the connecting arms have been repaired. The box is Dutch, and has clear Dutch hallmarks G for 1916, and makers mark VS for Vos & Co of Haarlem, Hertogenbosch. The box also has clear London import marks for 1916, and importers mark RB for Richard Burbridge, who was Managing Director of Harrods from 1911 to 1917. The Cloth Hall was first built in 1304, site of the Les Halles Market, and centre to the town of Ypres (Ieper). It was the site of many major battles during the War, first sustaining damage in 1914 but being completely destroyed by 1918. It was rebuilt between 19...

An antique Dutch silver vinaigrette (zilveren lodereindoosje) in the form of an armoire (kabinet). These have also been described as pomanders, scent boxes, and also incorrectly described as snuff boxes and peppermint boxes. The box is rectangular in shape, with an engraved armoire, complete with drawers, it also has a pierced rim on the lid. The back is decorated with an engraved flower, while the base, sides and lid have engraved wrigglework decoration. The lid is clearly hallmarked with maker mark IS under star (makers mark 10121 in the book "Netherlands Responsibility Marks since 1797") for Johannes Jacobus Smits, who worked in Schoonhoven between 1823 and 1824. The lid also has a very clear date letter O for 1823. The rim of the box also has makers mark and Minerva head office mark (duty mark). Loderein comes from the French "l'eau de reine" translated "water of the king", as only the wealthy could afford the perfumed cologne.

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...

A lovely antique silver and enamel vesta case, with an oval enamel plaque depicting a Beefeater (Yeoman Warder) of the Tower of London. The Beefeater is wearing Tudor State Dress, the colours are vibrant and the detail is good. The vesta case is rectangular, decorated with scrolling foliage, it has a safety suspension loop attached to the lid. The interior is gilded, this is a good quality case. The hallmarks are clear, including sword and wheatsheaves town mark for Chester. Charles Lyster & Son used the Chester assay office between 1899 and 1902, then switched to Spencer Street, Birmingham between 1903 and 1911 (perhaps linked to a change in location). The Yeoman Warders, commonly called Beefeaters, are the ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London. They were established in 1485 as Royal Guards, the Beefeater name is thought to derive from the large ration of beef they were issued daily in court. They only wear the Tudor State Dress depicted on Royal occasions.