A sterling silver wine taster made by Anthony Elson, one of the 50 leading silversmiths featured in the book "Designer British Silver 1930-1985" by Andrew and Styles, a book we highly recommend. The wine taster has the traditional circular bowl with raised base, and a lovely cast silver handle of textured vine branches, with some pruned ends. The handle is a delight to hold, the thumb rests easily and the grip is secure, so very suitable for use. The taster is clearly hallmarked, including makers mark A.G.E, and also has an engraved number 278 on the base (we know this taster was a limited edition commissioned by the Heritage Collection in 1976, so perhaps each is individually numbered). Anthony Gordon Elson trained under Dunstan Pruden, he worked for William Comyns from 1964-1968 before establishing his own operation, ecclesiastical goods and also limited editions for leading retailers, including Asprey, Spink, Hennell's and Garrards, this taster is one of these. After the boom (he had around 30 staff) creat...

A Dutch Arts & Crafts silver bowl, with hand hammered (planished) texture, which creates a very appealing finish. The bowl is circular, on a small base, with decorative band 2/3rd's of the way up (slightly wider here). The handles are circular, with tapered thumbpiece on top, with turn up at end for good grip. The top of the handles are planished as well. The bowl is very similar in shape and style to English porringers, but could also be used as a sugar bowl. The hallmarks are clear, Minerva mark with clear C for The Hague, Lion 835 standard mark, date letter Y for 1933 and makers mark V over moon for Zilverfabriek Voorschoten. This mark was used by Koninklijke Van Kempen & Begeer, founded in 1764 and still in existence today. This bowl would make an ideal Christening present.

A fabulous sterling silver letter opener, with an impressive cast silver Leopard's head, the detail is superb. The letter blade has well struck large hallmarks along the front, these form part of the decoration. The quality is excellent, it has a lovely feel in the hand, and when you leave it on your desk you cannot resist picking it up. The animal may not be a leopard, my wife suggested Jaguar, please see the photograph's.

A Charming Cape silver Konfyt (preserve) fork, in the Old English pattern, with 3 tines. The fork has a large oval drop, which along with 3 tines (later forks had 4 tines), shows it's age. The fork has makers mark only, quite clear, it appears to be HNS, this is mark 175 in Welz, Cape Silver. This mark is recorded as "unknown" by Welz, but is now thought to be a worn punch used by Daniel Heinrich Schmidt, the greatest of all the Cape Silversmiths (Heller and Welz) - see the similarity with Schmidt's DHS mark, Welz mark 110.

Note - The Delft spoon has been sold, only the Amsterdam spoon is available. Price listed is for Amsterdam spoon only. Two 18th century Dutch silver Memorial or Figural spoons, very similar in style so we have grouped them together. Both spoons have figures mounted on pedestals, auricular style triangular handles, rudimentary rat tails and deep gilded spoon bowls (deep lemon colour). The first spoon from Amsterdam has a figure holding a long implement with notches (all suggestions welcome), and has a hole under his arm (possibly a missing piece?). The handle or stem is triangular, with zig zag scratches, the 4 hallmarks grouped on back of bowl at left side are clear (as is usual for Amsterdam spoons of this period). The marks include makers mark JS in oval punch (very clear), for Johannes Selling, date letter V (1780), Dutch purity lion for first grade (934) silver, and Amsterdam town mark. The spoon has a later well struck mark struck in the bowl, the axe or hatchet mark, used between 1853 ...

A rat tail Hanoverian pattern tablespoon, with clear hallmarks. The spoon the traditional rat tail used before 1730, the Hanoverian rib on the front of the stem, and original owners engraved initials W*C on the back of the stem, as is usual for 18th century spoons. 3 hallmarks are very clear, the crowned leopards head has excellent detail. The makers mark W.S in oval punch is partially worn, the W slightly worn. William Soame was freed in 1720, he was a largeworked, he died in 1772, after being retired "many years". (Grimwade page 665, mark 3295).

A Royal Navy Gold Officers Sweetheart brooch, with gold pin and clasp in full working order. The cast badge has the Royal Navy fouled anchor under Crown, surrounded by laurel wreath, the badge has good detail. No hallmarks are present, but we are certain the pin is solid gold (we assume 9 carat).

A Scottish Provincial toddy ladle, made by David Manson in Dundee. The toddy ladle is in the Fiddle pattern, and has original owners engraved initials RG. The ladle has 4 hallmarks, a partially struck D makers mark for Manson, and 3 well struck and clear "pot of lilies", from the Dundee coat of arms. Manson worked between 1809 and 1830, his work is quite scarce.

A set of three sterling silver items, namely ladle, saltspoon and butterknife, in the popular Fiddle, Thread and Shell pattern, with engraved Marais Family coat of arms, which is very clear on all 3 items. The ladle is a pleasing size and weight,108 grammes, the quality is excellent on all 3 items. The hallmarks are very clear, including makers mark D&J W, for Daniel & John Wellby, who worked between 1827 and 1974 from Garrick Street, London. The Marais family coat of arms is described as "Azure, a chain sable fesswise, in chief a crescent reversed and a base of two hills vert" - Pama, Heraldry of South African Families, page 53, depicted on Plate 18, no 280, of the Bell Krynauw Collection. It dates back to Charles Marais of the farm Plasir de Merle, who arrived in the Cape in 1688, and was "murdered by a Hottentot on the farm in 1689". Note - we have other matching items with the Marais Family armorial.

A rare Cape silver sauce ladle, in the Old English pattern, made by Johannes Combrink circa 1820. The ladle has a long drop, which given the date shows it's Colonial nature, and has nice proportions. It is engraved with an attractive family crest, a bent raised arm holding a dagger, this is very crisply engraved. The ladle has 2 makers marks, both clearly struck, (Welz mark 31). Johannes Combrink was born in the Cape in 1781, he married Aurelia Lotter in 1807 and died in 1853. He worked from Dorp Street.

A set of 2 Cape silver dessert forks in the Kings pattern, one by Lawrence Twentyman and the other by Fredrik Waldek. These forks match S 1864 and S 1865, we have put these 2 together to show an unusual variance in length. Whilst both are Cape Kings pattern dessert forks, they have a 1.2 cm difference in length (the shorter fork is also lighter, 54 vs 62 grammes). The difference is the stem only, the decoration top and bottom is identical, as are the length of tines. It is believed that Twentyman imported dies for Kings pattern to the Cape circa 1830 and that Waldek took over the dies in 1836, but we cannot explain the difference in length, all suggestions welcome. We have carefully studied the forks, there is no evidence they have been lengthened or shortened. The forks are double struck (pattern on both sides), and have the diamond heel, as is usual with Cape silver Kings pattern. Cape silver in Kings pattern is quite rare, it was only produced by these 2 silversmiths, Twentyman and Waldek, who took over T...

A pair of Cape silver dessert forks in the Kings pattern, by Lawrence Twentyman. The forks are very good quality and gauge, a pleasure to hold. The forks are double struck (pattern on both sides), and have the diamond heel, as is usual with Cape silver Kings pattern. Cape silver in Kings pattern is quite rare, it was only produced by 2 silversmiths, Twentyman and Waldek, who took over Twentymans business. The hallmarks are very clear on both forks, and include pseudo lion passant, Georgian duty, date letter a and crowned leopard's head, along with makers mark LT. The forks have no monograms or engraving, and none has been removed.

A pair of Cape silver dessert forks in the Kings pattern, by Fredrik Waldek. The forks are very good quality and gauge, but a little shorter than usual. The forks are double struck (pattern on both sides), and have the diamond heel, as is usual with Cape silver Kings pattern. Cape silver in Kings pattern is quite rare, it was only produced by 2 silversmiths, Twentyman and Waldek, who took over Twentyman's business. The hallmarks are very clear on both forks, and include pseudo Georgian duty, date letter a and crowned leopard's head, along with makers mark FW, which is slightly worn. The forks have no monograms or engraving, and none has been removed. Waldek had a long career as a Cape silversmith, chronometer, clockmaker and jeweller, he worked between 1830 and 1877. He took over Twentyman's shop and partnership on Heerengracht in 1836. The forks have shorter stems than other examples, see S 1866 for a comparative example.

A Cape silver konfyt fork in the Fiddle pattern, with 3 tines. The tines are different from most konfyt forks, these are quite fat, widely spaced and short (3.3. cm). The fork has original owners initials TFM, the engraving in an unusual script, quite pleasing overall. The fork has makers mark I.B in oval punch, with the I and B co-joined. This is depicted in the book "Cape Silver and Silversmiths" by Stephan Welz as mark 20, page 146, for Johan Anton Bunning, a German soldier who arrived in the Cape in 1758 and died in 1793. He mark is confirmed as he made silver for the Dutch Reformed Church, whose records confirm him as maker, but the Fiddle pattern style of the fork is problematic, as it was only introduced circa 1800, so it is unlikely he made this fork. A number of alternatives exist, it could have been made by a son (Cape silversmiths regularly carried on using punches created by fathers). More likely is that this is the mark of another Cape silversmith, whose mark has not yet been attributed. IB or JB...

A rare pair of Cape Silver lemoen lepels (orange spoons), with an interesting provenance, they featured in the book Cape Silver and Silversmiths by Stephan Welz, pg 93. The spoons are the traditional lemoen lepel shape, with narrow, pointed boat shaped bowl, and triangular terminal, and Cape prick engraving. The spoons have a very elegant shape, the bowls deep and curved, the drop is distinctly v shaped, they have a lovely feel in the hand. Both spoons are clearly hallmarked with makers mark IL in rectangular punch for Jan Lotter, and also are punched with initials HB, we assume the original owner. Welz describes orange spoons as"probably the most attractive type of spoon made at the Cape, derived from Dutch spoons", pg 95. He also notes that all known examples are by Cape born silversmiths of the early 19th century (so not made by the more prolific English immigrants who arrived after 1815). Jan Lotter, who died young after a short career (1813-1817), was part of the Lotter family of Cape silversmiths, he ma...

A Cape silver konfyt fork, in the Old English pattern with feather edge decoration and 3 tines, dating it around 1790 to 1800. The fork is struck with a makers mark only, i:V:G in an unusual shaped punch, which moulds around the dotted i. This fork matches S 1787, the main difference being longer tines (we believe original, these have not been shortened) and a makers mark that is good but not as clearly struck as the other. Welz describes this maker as unknown, but Heller (History of Cape Silver Vol I, pg 163) lists this maker as Johann Voigt? Both authors depict a different IVG punch from this one, with an additional fish hallmark (see our tablespoon S 1571 by the same maker to see the different punch and fish hallmark). Overall we agree with Welz and are not convinced by the attribution to Voigt, it seems far more likely to belong to a "van G" maker (for example van Graan, a known Cape name). Overall an interesting hallmark that requires further research. Note - a matching konfyt fork by the same maker is a...

An interesting Arts & Crafts silver 2 pronged fork, hallmarked by Harry Warmington of the Guild of Handicraft, run by the Hart's of Chipping Campden. The fork has 2 flat tines, with shaped ends replicating an earlier style, the handle has 2 bumps, similar to Scottish Fiddle pattern of the 18th century. The fork is hand hammered, as you would expect from this studio, with individual hammer marks visible, and is engraved with initial T (also done by hand). The fork has a pleasant feel, and would be very suitable for serving cold meats. Harry Warmington was "an integral member of the Guild of Handicraft workshop for some 50 years, he was one of the best silversmiths to have worked in Campden, he was also a fine engraver. Despite his abilities, he never applied to become a Freeman of the Goldsmith's Company",quote from the book "The Harts of Chipping Campden, pg 31. Harry was recruited by George Hart in 1912 from the local grammar school, he joined the infantry in 1914 on the outbreak of World War I, then the Roy...

A Cape silver konfyt fork by the respected silversmith Johan Hendrik Vos, part of the Vos family of Cape Silversmiths. The fork is quite long and elegant, in the Old English pattern, and has no engraving. It has 3 tines, (later forks have 4 tines), so probably dates to before 1800. The fork also has a wide semi circular drop, also indicative of a date before 1800. The hallmarks are excellent, and consist of a square punch with 4 dots struck twice, either side of makers mark JHV in script in oval punch (Welz mark 152, Cape Silver and Silversmiths). Vos worked between 1766 and 1810, he apprenticed with Johann Hasse between 1761 and 1766. He married in 1770 and had 12 children, his wife Elizabeth continued his business after he died in 1810 by adding the hallmark Wed (Weduwee, or widow) next to his JHV makers mark (Welz mark 154). The Vos Family produced over 10 Cape Silversmiths between 1748 and 1862 (Heller, History of Cape Silver Vol 1, pg 66-71, and page 269 for a family tree). The 4 dot square punch was als...

An interesting silver caddy spoon made to commemorate the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles to Lady Diana in 1981. This is a lovely caddy spoon, quite heavy, excellent quality, and with a very pleasing design. The bowl is circular with stylised Prince of Wales feathers with Royal crown and motto "ICH DIEN". The handle is rectangular with diamond lozenge with the Spencer family Coat of Arms, 3 scallop shells between 2 devices, above Spencer family motto "Dieu Defend Le Droit", translated "God defend the right". The back of the handle is engraved "Des A. G. Styles, Garrard & Co Ltd, 42". It is also engraved with the name "George Ware" underneath the hallmarks, which are clear (we assume a previous owner). Alex Styles was one of Britain's leading silver designers of the 20th century, he spent most of his career as lead designer at Garrards, the Royal silversmiths, until he retired in 1987. The Times newspaper described him as "the finest designer of hand made silver in England" in 1966. He served with the RAF duri...

A Tiffany silver baby or child's spoon and fork, intended as a Christening present. These are quite small, suitable for use by a toddler, they are really sweet. The pattern on the back and front has a double reeded edge, terminating in a V shape in the bowl. The fork tines are quite fat and blunt, so not dangerous. Both are hallmarked "Tiffany & Co Sterling M", the M indicating a date between 1907 and 1947.