Stuart Devlin Christmas

Stuart Devlin was a mid-century modern Australian metalworker whose sparkling creations showcased the luster of silver. He used techniques like filigree and gilding to make a range of sterling silver serveware and decorative sculptures.

Devlin was born in Geelong, Victoria, in 1931. From 1951 to 1955, he taught gold and silversmithing in the town of Wangaratta. He went on to study at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 1957 and earned a scholarship to the Royal College of Art in London in 1958. Devlin was awarded a two-year Harkness Fellowship by the Commonwealth Fund, which he used to spend time at Columbia University in New York City.

After returning to Melbourne, he won a competition to design Australian coinage in 1964. His initials are still on the 1966 Australian 50-cent coin. A year later, he moved back to London and opened a workshop. There, he began producing limited-edition Christmas boxes and Easter eggs, which continue to be highly prized by collectors. Devlin also took commissions for coins and medals from countries around the world. From 1979 to 1985, he operated a popular showroom on London’s Conduit Street.

Devlin was widely acclaimed and recognized for his work over his long career. In 1982, he was granted the Royal Warrant of Appointment as Goldsmith and Jeweler to Her Majesty the Queen. From 1996 to 1997, he served as the Prime Warden of the Goldsmiths’ Company. In 2000, he designed a coin series for the Summer Olympics in Sydney.

Devlin retired to Littlehampton, West Sussex, where he died in 2018 at the age of 86. As described in his obituary in The Guardian, Devlin sought to bring “delight, surprise, intrigue and even amusement” to modern style.

On 1stDibs, find vintage Stuart Devlin serveware, decorative objects and more.

Your dining room table is a place where stories are shared and personalities shine — why not treat yourself and your guests to the finest antique and vintage glass, silver, ceramics and serveware for your meals?

Just like the people who sit around your table, your serveware has its own stories and will help you create new memories with your friends and loved ones. From ceramic pottery to glass vases, set your table with serving pieces that add even more personality, color and texture to your dining experience.

Invite serveware from around the world to join your table settings. For special occasions, dress up your plates with a striking Imari charger from 19th-century Japan or incorporate Richard Ginori’s Italian porcelain plates into your dining experience. Celebrate the English ritual of afternoon tea with a Japanese tea set and an antique Victorian kettle. No matter how big or small your dining area is, there is room for the stories of many cultures and varied histories, and there are plenty of ways to add pizzazz to your meals.

Add different textures and colors to your table with dinner plates and pitchers of ceramic and silver or a porcelain lidded tureen, a serving dish with side handles that is often used for soups. Although porcelain and ceramic are both made in a kiln, porcelain is made with more refined clay and is more durable than ceramic because it is denser. The latter is ideal for statement pieces — your tall mid-century modern ceramic vase is a guaranteed conversation starter. And while your earthenware or stoneware is maybe better suited to everyday lunches as opposed to the fine bone china you’ve reserved for a holiday meal, handcrafted studio pottery coffee mugs can still be a rich expression of your personal style.

“My motto is ‘Have fun with it,’” says author and celebrated hostess Stephanie Booth Shafran. “It’s yin and yang, high and low, Crate & Barrel with Christofle silver. I like to mix it up — sometimes in the dining room, sometimes on the kitchen banquette, sometimes in the loggia. It transports your guests and makes them feel more comfortable and relaxed.”

Introduce elegance at supper with silver, such as a platter from celebrated Massachusetts silversmith manufacturer Reed and Barton or a regal copper-finish flatware set designed by International Silver Company, another New England company that was incorporated in Meriden, Connecticut, in 1898. By then, Meriden had already earned the nickname “Silver City” for its position as a major hub of silver manufacturing.

At the bar, try a vintage wine cooler to keep bottles cool before serving or an Art Deco decanter and whiskey set for after-dinner drinks — there are many possibilities and no wrong answers for tableware, barware and serveware. Explore an expansive collection of antique and vintage glass, ceramics, silver and serveware today on 1stDibs.