An interesting Victorian silver box, with am embossed scene of 4 racing horses pulling a rider, in front of a building. We imagine the rider is riding a chariot, but this is not visible. The rider has a flowing cape, the horses have flowing manes and are kicking up a dust storm, the modelling of the horses is beautiful and very realistic. The box is table snuff box size, it could also fit cigarettes or small cigars, but as it is not gilded or wood lined we assume it is a storage box for small desk items, or perhaps cufflinks on a dressing table. The box is good quality and a pleasing weight. The hallmarks on the base are slightly worn from polishing but still clearly visible, including makers mark G over interlocking L in shield punch for Lambert and Co, who used this mark between 1884 and 1900, based in Coventry Street London. Lambert and Co. was a prestigious firm, originally Lambert and Rawlings, they held a Royal warrant and won a prize medal at the Great Exhibition of 1851. In 1861 George Lambert and his...

A Victorian silver wine bottle stand, with blank central cartouche (suitable for engraving), with embossed shell and scroll decoration, raised edge and 4 very ornate scrolling feet. It is a good weight and is good quality, and suitable for use. The base is engraved "Hunt & Roskell, Late Storr & Mortimer, 8095". The sterling lion, town mark, date letter and duty mark are clear, but the makers mark is very faint and barely visible (although not necessary with the full name engraved on the base). Hunt & Roskell were the most prestigious silversmiths of Victorian England, having descended from Paul Storr, the most famous of English silversmiths. They were silversmiths and jewellers to Her Majesty Queen Victoria, and had an important display at the Great Exhibition of 1851. In 1865 it was recorded that they were the largest holders of precious stones in Europe (John Culme, Directory of Gold & Silversmiths, pg 245).

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.

A Dutch antique silver miniature 6 light chandelier, (kaarsenkroon in Dutch) in the traditional form, with a globe under the candlestick holders intended to reflect the light of the candles. The globe holds six scrolling arms, with applied decorative loops, the sconces with 4 petals. The connecting hook has 3 segments, also with ball decoration, the bottom one fixed and the 2 upper segments have chain links. All 3 pieces of the connecting chain are hallmarked with the Dutch dagger, the chandelier itself is apparently unmarked. The Dutch dagger was used between 1814 and 1905, and indicates a minimum of 833 grade silver. Chandeliers of this form date back to the 17th century, they were also produced as Dutch silver miniatures in the 18th century (see similar example by Arnoldus van Geffen, "Tall and Small Antique Dutch Silver Miniatures, Aardewerk, page 48). Two other examples are depicted in the book "Nederlandse Zilveren Miniaturen, 17de en 18de Eeuw, John Endlich, page 49. They were also reproduced in the 19...

An antique silver cigarette case, presented to Captain and Adjutant W.P.E. Newbigging of the 1st Manchester Regiment in 1894. The case is rectangular, with a gilded interior, with a very good quality spring loaded clasp, which is still in perfect working order. The case is engraved "W.P.E. Newbigging, 1st Manchester Regiment" on the exterior, and is also engraved in script on the interior "Biggins, from T.T., 1894", we assume Biggins was his nickname. The hallmarks are very clear on both lid and base. Zimmermans (Arthur & John) worked from 1889 until their liquidation in 1929. William Patrick Eric Newbigging was an interesting character, born in Bengal, India in 1871, son of Lt. Colonel William Newbigging of the Manchester Regiment, so he followed his father's footsteps. He co-authored a book entitled "Rough Diary of the Doings of the 1st Battn. Manchester Regt. During the South African War 1899-1902", with Major Marden. He was severely wounded at Elandslaagte, leading the charge of the Manchesters, for whi...

Delightful grape scissors with a fox amongst grapes and vines, definitely the nicest grape scissors we have ever seen. The handles are cast, with the design repeated on both sides. Both arms are clearly hallmarked. The shears are all silver, with no steel inserts. These scissors are still in their original box. James Edward Hutton joined his father's firm (William Hutton & Sons) in 1880. The firm supplied many leading retailers, including the Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Co, Mappin and Webb, and Neill Ltd of Ireland.

A lovely German silver traditional marriage or bridal cup, in 800 silver, in the form of a lady in 17th century costume. The lady has a tight bodice, and wear a traditional hat. Her outstretched arms hold a foliate openwork support from which the small swivel cup is suspended. Her wide long skirt forms the bottom cup, the decoration is very fine, this is a truly lovely example. These cups originated in Nuremberg in the 17th century, they were called "Jungfraubecher" and were used in wedding banquets, where the spouse drinks from the bigger cup, the bride drinks from the smaller cup simultaneously, with the aim of not spilling a drop. The cups were also popular at the end of the 19th century, when they were used for wagers as well as weddings, hence the name wager cup. Richard Garten was active in Dresden between 1860 and 1905, he specialized in commemorative pieces and antique reproductions. His work is always very good quality, this piece is no exception. The hallmarks include the moon and crown (Germany po...

Two very small Victorian silver vinaigrettes, both very dainty, very similar to S 1697, these are delightful boxes given their detail and size (half the size of usual vinaigrettes). The first is 1842 by Francis Clark, it is rectangular with tartan engraving, and a vacant cartouche for crest or initials. the grille has an attractive floral pattern, the interior gilding is good with some mild oxidation. The hallmarks are good on both base and lid, the grille is hallmarked as well. The second is 1866 by Frederick Marson, rectangular with engine turned engraving and vacant cartouche, this also has a silver ring attachment. The grille has a a floral engraved design, the piercing is random. The gilding is excellent, the hallmarks on lid, base and grille also very clear. Francis Clark was a specialist Birmingham toy maker who worked between 1827 and 1849, his boxes are well regarded, he also served as magistrate. He emigrated to Australia (Adelaide) with his family in 1850 for family health reasons, and established ...

A rare Cape silver marrow scoop, with 4 pseudo hallmarks and an unusual shaped stem. The marrow scoop is the usual shape, with a thinner and thicker scoop at either end, the stem has an unusual shape, slightly thicker in the centre, possibly to improve the grip. The scoop has 4 pseudo hallmarks, these are well struck but blurry, probably due to inferior or worn punches being used. They include pseudo date letter Gothic a, pseudo crowned leopards head town mark, pseudo duty mark with noticeable cusp to the right, and pseudo date letter B, also with cusps. No makers mark is present, and we have not seen this particular combination of marks together before. However, the only Cape silversmith who used these particular pseudo marks is Lawrence Twentyman, see Welz, Cape Silver & Silversmiths, page 155, marks 134 (capital B) and 135 (crowned leopards head, a and duty mark). In addition, a very similarly shaped Cape silver marrow scoop is depicted by Welz in the same book, page 77, centre, this example by Lawrence Tw...

A Boer war antique silver vesta case, presented as a memento by General Sir Leslie Rundle, the Commander of the 8th Division of the South African Field Force. The vesta case is the usual rectangular shape, with spring hinged lid and gilded interior, and striker on the base, and a connecting ring so it could be attached to a fob chain. The case is good quality and in remarkably good condition, we think this was preserved by the owner and not used, many vesta cases of this period were well used and condition is often poor. The case is engraved on one side with a flag and "VIII" for 8th Division, the other side is engraved "S. AFRICA 1900 from L.R". The vesta case and lid are both clearly hallmarked for London 1900, and makers mark HBA for John Batson & Sons, who worked between 1851 and 1936, they were noted as "Army accoutrement makers" - source John Culme, Gold & Silversmiths, page 34. General Sir Leslie Rundle GCB, GCMG, GCVO, DSO (1856-1934) was a British Army General in the Boer War and First World War, whe...

A miniature Continental silver teapot, with a magnificent birds head spout, with lovely detail. The teapot is oval shaped, and is decorated with an attractive band of vertical leaves, with a similar pattern repeated on the lid. The lid is domed and has a ball finial. the handle is dark composite, securely attached with brass pins. The teapot is a pleasing weight and is very good quality, clearly the work of a master craftsman. The makers mark ZV is distinct and clear, this is accompanied by another partially struck mark, a shield with 3 vertical staves under a band, with dots above (a crown?). We have not identified either mark, assistance most welcome! Note - This teapot is very similar to a normal sized teapot by Johann Diedrich Laue, Hamburg circa 1815, lot 1052 in the Woolley & Wallis sale, October 2010, which has a similar shape and acanthus leaf border.

A silver beaker of extremely high quality, with lobed and reeded body on gadrooned foot, and gilded interior. The beaker is of good weight and has a lovely feel. The beaker has a lovely crest, with the motto "Manners Makyth Man", and a French motto "Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense" (shame upon him who thinks evil of it). The crest, which is well engraved, is that of the Bishop of Winchester, William of Wykeham (Winchester impaling Wykeham). The arms are surrounded by the motto of the Order of the Garter (as the Bishop of Winchester is ex officio Prelate of the Order), his personal motto is beneath the arms. Wykeham founded New College, Oxford and Winchester College, Winchester in 1382, both of which use his personal arms and motto, not those impaled with his bishopric. The French motto is the motto of the "Order of the Knights of the Garter", which was formed in 1348 by King Edward III. Edward Ker Reid, who traded from Fleet Street in London, was the Grandson of Christian Ker Reid of Newcastle, who established Reid...

A set of 6 Gorham sterling silver dessert sized forks in the Strasbourg pattern, first launched in 1897. The forks are fabulous quality, as you would expect from Gorham, and are in excellent condition and without any monograms or engraving. The forks have 4 tines, these would be described as salad forks in the USA. The beautiful and graceful Strasbourg pattern is inspired by French rococo style, with a series of different sized scrolls, with shells on the finials and heels. Strasbourg, designed by William Codman who was Gorham's chief designer from 1891-1914, is described by Gorham as "one of the best loved of all Gorham designs", and according to Pinterest it was used on Air Force One, (U.S. Presidents aeroplane). All 6 forks are clearly hallmarked with the Gorham lion, anchor and gothic G, alongside STERLING and PAT. 1897. They also have an additional T hallmark, we believe this was used briefly by Gorham at the turn of the century, to denote a specific weight (T for Trade, H for Heavy). Gorham Corporatio...

Impressive set of good quality Russian flatware, with an applied crest of what appears to be a basket of flowers over a shield, bearing the initials ES. They are of very good gauge, the individual spoons and forks weigh 80 grams each, the knives 130 grams each. The set was made in two different batches 2 years apart, the first 6 (2 of each) was made by Cyprian Labecki in 1883, the second 6 by C.H. Stern in 1885. All were assayed in Warsaw, Poland (which was part of Russia between 1850 and 1915) by O.C. (Josef Sosnkowski), who was the assaymaster in Warsaw between 1860 and 1896. The hallmarks are all clear, the 6 by Labecki have an additional hallmark of a bulls head, the 6 by Stern have a device that looks like a rams head. The knives are silver handled with steel blades (blades by Gerlach and S. Bienkowski). The hallmarks on the spoons and forks are very clear, those on the knife handles are present but worn (still discernable).

A set of 12 antique Norwegian silver tablespoons, made in Bergen, Norway by the Bors family of silversmiths. The spoons are in the Fiddle and Shell pattern, and are single struck. Six spoons were made in November 1854 in 13 Loth grade by T Bors, the other 6 six spoons were made in August 1856 in higher grade 13 & 1/3 grade by Bors. The first set are heavier (average 50 grammes), better quality spoons, these are in excellent condition, the second set are lighter (average 40 grammes) and are in poorer condition. The first set are engraved with owners initials NIM on the front, the second set are prick engraved on the back with inscription and date 1856. Stylistically both sets are very similar, so can be used as a set of 12. The hallmarks on all 12 spoons are excellent, and include (first 6) 54 for 1854, 11/m for November, T.Bors maker, 13LG for 13 loth grade, and seven cannon balls (town mark for Bergen). The second 6 have 56 for 1856, 8/m for August, Bors makers mark, 13 1/3 grade mark, and seven cannon balls...

A set of six Victorian Scottish silver spoons, with matching tongs, in a Grecian pattern variant, not present in the book Silver Flatware by Ian Pickford, so we believe to be rare. The spoons can best be described as very large teaspoons, but definitely more suitable for eating dessert. The spoons and tongs have original owners engraved initials CS in fancy script. The pattern is very similar to Grecian, but noticeable differences include a shell at the top of the stem, and small beads as a border of the stem. The pattern is single struck, as is usual for Scottish flatware. Grecian pattern is a mid 19th century pattern, first exhibited by George Adams of Chawner & Co. at the Great Exhibition of 1851, the pattern is also present in the Chawner pattern book (pages 144, 145 and 218 of Pickford book above). The hallmarks are excellent on all 7 items, they could not be clearer, and include the Glasgow town mark with tree and fish. Robert Scott worked from Buchanan Street, Glasgow between 1849 and 1927. We really l...

An interesting set of 4 Cape silver Fiddle pattern tableforks, by Lodewyk Beck. They have no initials, although 1 fork has the remnants of an initial just visible. It appears 1 fork was made at a different time, as the hallmarks are struck differently from the other 3. The hallmarks include makers mark LB with 4 pseudo English hallmarks, including lion, duty mark, castle town mark and date letter a. What is interesting about the hallmarks is that they are all individually struck, with not too much care, both the sterling lion and the date letter have been struck upside down on one, it appears the order and orientation of hallmarks was not important to Cape silversmiths. The 4th fork, has the same hallmarks but struck further apart. Lodewyk Willem Christiaan Beck worked between 1847 and 1867, from Shortmarket street and Greenmarket Square.

A magnificent set of unusual silver gilt cast teaspoons and sugartongs, all of exceptional quality, in original silk lined leather box. Each individual spoon is a replica of an earlier spoon design, covering 300 years of spoon history. They include (as best we can identify): 1. Moors head, twisted stem 2. Onslow with flowers 3. Bearded monks head (Rococo) 4. Pierced handle (rare 18th century design) 5. Apostle spoon. pilgrims staff and book 6. Bacchus (Roman clothes) holding wine goblet 7. Stag with antlers 8. Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, dancing with tambourine 9. The devil, with horns 10. Warrior with raised arm, helmet and brestplate 11. Angels head (blowing clouds?) 12. Cherub's head, ornate stem 13. (Sugartongs) Cupid with wings. Manoah Rhodes was established in Bradford, Yorkshire in 1836, Thomas Ackroyd Rhodes was appointed Managing Director in 1888. He lived in Frizinghall and Thornbury in Bradford. They also had premises in Hatton Gardens, London. They were Diamond merchants, Goldsmiths ...

A rare Cape silver marrow scoop, in the Fiddle pattern, by Willam Moore, who worked in the Cape between 1840 and 1863. The scoop is the traditional design, with 2 differently sized scoops at either end, used for eating bone marrow, a "popular delicacy at the Cape" (Welz, Cape Silver and Silversmiths, pg 76, where a similar fiddle pattern scoop by Moore is depicted, but in much worse condition than this one.) The scoop is in excellent condition, no dents, scratches or repairs, it does not appear to have seen much use. The Cape hallmarks are very clear, and include makers mark WM and the Cape Stub mark (see article in our articles section) of 4 pseudo English hallmarks struck in a stub (Welz mark 101). A very similar Cape silver marrow scoop by Willam Moore, but with makers mark struck the other way, can be seen on the Steppes Hill website (http://www.steppeshillfarmantiques.com/silver-and-porcelain/d/rare-19th-century-cape-silver-marrow-scoop/98455/216995).

A lovely Scottish silver cigar or cheroot case, with motto "Should auld acquaintance be forgot", and the Carstairs family crest and motto "Te Splendente", translated "Whilst thou art shining". The case is beautifully engraved with a spectacular interlocking architectural pattern interspersed with different flowers, this is one of the nicest we have seen. The case has a pleasing shape and feel, easy to slide into a pocket given its curved shape. The front of the case has "Should auld acquaintance be forgot" in the top panel, and Carstairs family crest and motto in the bottom, along with "DC to FC", we assume members of the Carstairs family. The Carstairs armorial has a chevron between 3 primroses, with sun darting its rays on a primrose above. The back has 2 circular panels, with finely engraved flowers, we assume a primrose. The hallmarks are clear, but cleverly hidden in the engraving. George Cunningham only worked between 1855 and 1858, but given the quality of this case must have been a master craftsman.