Silver & Silver-plated items

With more than 16,000 works on display, 'Art Treasures of Great Britain', held in a temporary iron-and-glass structure built in the Old Trafford area of Manchester in 1857, remains the largest art exhibition to be held in the UK.

Henry William Dee, the son of Soho silversmith Thomas William Dee (c.1792- 1869), made a speciality of producing silver novelties for Garrard, Leuchars & Son and Asprey’s and other retail goldsmiths. There was real genius here and the patterns for many were patented.

The London firm Samuel Jackson seems to have specialised in mounting other materials in silver to produce wine-coolers.

For many years the largest city outside London, Norwich had its own silver assay office during three periods from 1565-1702.

This parcel gilt musical box decorated with a frieze of figures is by Stuart Devlin (London 1975).

An example of 17th century hollowware appeared for sale at Dawsons (23% buyer’s premium) in Maidenhead earlier this year.

The Jewellery, Watches and Objects of Vertu sale at Dix Noonan Webb (25% buyer’s premium) in London on March 15 included more fine silver and enamel vesta cases by Sampson Mordan & Co to add to those sold by the firm in September 2021.

Silver was the major strength of a recent two-day sale at Dreweatts (25% buyers’ premium). All bar one of the 549 lots got away to a hammer total tipping the £1m mark.

Early silver will go under the hammer this month at Drouot when Jean-Marc Delvaux offers items from the collection of Stéphane Faniel (1909-78).

Fashion retailer’s extensive and wide-ranging French collection sets a €4m total in Paris

The collecting history of English silver spoons spans well over a century.

Among the eye-catchers in the general auction at Metz in Heidelberg on March 25-26 is a small, partly enamelled silver box with a gilt interior.

More than 600 lots at Neumeister’s Munich sale on March 30 have been hidden from public view for 90 years, packed in wooden crates.

This silver-gilt chinoiserie garniture would not have looked out of place at the Brighton Pavilion.

An imposing silver gilt jug and basin by a master goldsmith of the Empire period is one of the highlights of Osenat’s L’Empire à Fontainebleau auction.

This cloisonné and plique à jour enamel silver presentation tankard will be one of the highlights of the Gilded Age auction at Freeman’s in Philadelphia on February 24.

A Plymouth solicitor’s lifetime appreciation of West Country silver was shared by enthusiastic bidders at Chilcotts’ (21% buyer’s premium) Honiton rooms.

Bidders backing their judgment sent two lots to 20-times estimates at Mallams’ (25% buyer’s premium) jewellery and silver sale