Lee And Wigfield
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Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Finding the Right Sheffield-silverplate for You
Sheffield silverplate is a durable combination of thin silver sheets and comparatively thicker sheets of copper that was used to create a variety of household objects for years. On 1stDibs, find a collection of antique and vintage Sheffield silverplate and other silverplate for all of your formal dining and entertaining needs.
A cutler named Thomas Boulsover, who worked for a cutlers company in Sheffield, England, accidentally invented what we now call Sheffield silverplate during the 1700s. While working on a decorative knife for a customer — the metalworkers guild had been tasked with repairing its handle — Boulsover mistakenly overheated the silver and noticed that the knife’s layers of silver and copper melded together, creating an impressive bond. This new material felt like silver but was substantially cheaper. It was then used to produce a variety of serveware, candlesticks, buttons, tea sets and more. For families that couldn’t afford the sterling-silver tureens that were used to serve soup in the upper-class English homes at the time, this was good news. They could impress guests with housewares that looked like sterling silver but actually weren't.
Today, just as pewter collectibles and sterling silver are popular with collectors at neighborhood flea markets, antique Sheffield silverplate housewares are sought after for their appearance and rich history. Sheffield silverplate can command high prices on the secondhand market.
Securing yourself a Sheffield silverplate piece is like acquiring a little bit of history. In order to identify authentic Sheffield silverplate, you need to look for one significant attribute of the material. A metalworker had to ensure that all of the exposed edges of a particular piece had to be covered with a rim of silver. If not, the middle layer, which comprised copper, would show through. This would reveal that the piece was not sterling silver.
Don’t just trot out your matching crystal, silver and porcelain once or twice a year. Make a habit of mixing high and low when setting the table. To pair with your everyday contemporary tableware, find antique and vintage Sheffield silverplate on 1stDibs as well as silverplate by goldsmith and tableware companies such as Christofle, Elkington & Co. and more.
- Who is Robert Lee Morris?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertFebruary 1, 2024Robert Lee Morris is an American sculptor and jeweler. His work draws inspiration from the natural world, but Morris has said frequently that he imagines himself to be making pieces for an advanced society of the future. As a result, his pieces, often made of gold, silver and bronze, have an inventive, space-age quality. On 1stDibs, shop a range of Robert Lee Morris jewelry.
- Was Robert E. Lee an artist?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Yes, Robert E. Lee, the famed military general from the Civil War was also a talented sketch artist and was known to spend his spare time drawing sketches that he would send to his family. Lee’s wife, Mary Anna Curtis Lee was also an artist and created many paintings. On 1stDibs, find a variety of original artwork from top artists.
- 1stDibs ExpertOctober 24, 2024How much James Lee paintings are worth depends on their size, condition and other factors. In 2015, his painting untitled, Abstract Composition fetched an auction selling price of $3,500. Lee moved from South Korea to the U.S. in 1981 and soon became known for his landscape paintings, many of which depict cozy cottages in richly colored forests. If you're the owner of a Lee piece, a certified appraiser or knowledgeable art dealer can assist you with the valuation process. Find a large selection of paintings on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertOctober 7, 2024To tell if a Lee Reynolds painting is real, experts recommend having a certified appraiser or knowledgeable art dealer evaluate it for you. Many of Lee Reynolds's original works were mass-produced, so there are numerous copies of his most famous pieces. While you can sometimes make a determination by comparing the signature on your piece to images taken of authentic paintings, it is often very difficult to separate a reproduction from an original without years of experience and specialized training. On 1stDibs, explore a selection of Lee Reynolds Burr art.
- 1stDibs ExpertOctober 30, 2024How much a Lee Burr painting is worth depends on its size, history, condition and other factors. In 2022, his Untitled Abstract sold for more than $1,100 at New Orleans Auction Galleries in New Orleans, Louisiana. Lee Reynolds Burr was an American artist who founded Vanguard Studios, a company that mass-produced paintings to make fine art accessible to a wider audience. Burr likely signed hundreds of thousands of paintings over the course of his life, but many of these were the work of his studio rather than of the artist himself. A certified appraiser or knowledgeable art dealer can provide you with an estimated value for any Burr painting that you own. On 1stDibs, shop an assortment of Lee Reynolds Burr art.
- 1stDibs ExpertNovember 20, 2024Whether Lee Reynolds paintings are worth anything varies. Reynolds ran an art workshop that mass-produced paintings, so his signature and name appear on thousands of works, even ones he did not personally make. Since they were made in large quantities, these workshop paintings usually have little monetary value. However, an authenticated painting produced by Reynolds himself may be worth more. For example, his painting Sailing Boats fetched over $1,100 at auction in 2024. A certified appraiser or experienced art dealer can tell you how much a particular Reynolds in your collection may be worth. Shop a variety of Lee Reynolds paintings on 1stDibs.