Excellent Silver Wine Jug & Matching Goblets in Oak Chest

An excellent pair of antique Edwardian wine jugs of the finest quality. The ovoid glass bodies feature deeply cut panels, finely hand-engraved birds of pr...

This wonderful Victorian wine ewer is elaborately hand-chased with scroll-framed floral detail on either side of the body and a beautifully detailed sailing scene of two racing yachts. This antique silver jug...

An exceptional, fine and impressive antique Victorian English sterling silver claret jug with matching goblets made by Barnard & Sons Ltd, an addition to our range of collectable silverware This exceptional Victorian sterling silver set consists of a claret jug and two matching goblets. This impressive sterling silver claret jug has an ovoid form onto a circular domed foot. The body of the jug is embellished with a fine and impressive chased tapering swag design incorporating large graduating convex ovoid bead decoration amidst a shaped paralleling border with trefoil motifs on a matte background. The tapering cylindrical neck flares to the shaped rim, which is ornamented with an applied bead decorated border. The neck of the jug is encircled with bead decoration flanking a broad band of chased decoration reflecting the identical design to that of the swag decoration. The circular spreading foot to each item and upper portion of each goblet are embellished with a circular convex bead decorated border in addition to a band of bead ornamentation to the rim and knop. This antique claret...

The Decanter of slim tapered form with bulbous body, splayed circular foot with pinched stem and shaped opening. The Decanter extensively decorated throughout the body with two large fern leaves stemming from a central tied ribbon in the form of a bow. The decanter features a rounded handle fitted to the upper half of the decanter with a hinged shaped lid opening with gravity. To the base of the decanter an engraving reading “Jesse Collings. from I. Chamberlain.” Hallmarked to the neck AM (Alexander Macrae), Lion passant (sterling silver), Leopard Head town mark for London, Date letter R (1872) and the sovereign head duty mark. The Decanter is complete with its original latched fitted box lined in purple velvet with gold stringing to the exterior and the retailers mark to the inside doors “Widdowson & Veale, Goldsmith & Jewellery, to the Court of Spain, 73 Strand London.” Widdowson & Veale George Widdowson (b. 1804 Lincoln – Died 1872 Dulwich Village) was a celebrated silversmith and goldsmith although he took the route of retailer rather than a craftsman and by the age of 28 he had taken over his uncle’s London shop on the Strand, London. His uncle John Salter had been a close friend of Lord Nelson’s daughter, Horatia, and was godfather to one of her children. The shop was very successful and John Salter had supplied Nelson with many pieces of jewellery, including mourning rings. Widdowson developed the shop into Widdowson & Veale located at No. 73 Strand on the corner of Adam Street and opposite the Adelphi. Widdowson had a real eye for marketing. He once had a detailed newspaper article dedicated to his proposal to make a copy of Aeneas’ shield, as described in Virgil’s Aeneid. There is no evidence the shield was ever made though it did get good publicity. The company made swords and other weapons for the British army and navy, orders and decorations for the British court and were goldsmiths and jewellers to the court of Spain. In 1842 on the christening of Queen Victoria’s eldest son (later King Edward VII), Widdowson’s eye for publicity meant that the firm gave a christening gift of ‘an immense silver coronet supporting the Prince of Wales feathers.’ Widdowson & Veale were also makers to HRH the Duke of Sussex and the Court of Spain. In 1844, George was 40 and his business was doing well, as was the economy as a whole. The firm were able to advertise for apprentices, asking for a premium of £100. On 11 February 1847 George married Eliza Duffield (nee Boville), the daughter of a Putney wine merchant who had been living in Gibraltar but returned when her first husband, John Duffield, died. George and Eliza were middle-aged when they married and did not have children. Alexander Macrae founder of the firm that went on to be C J Vander Ltd. Macrae was recorded at 32 Bow Street, Covent Garden, London September 1856. He was joined in partnership by Martin Goldstein c. 1870, whereupon the style of the firm was changed to Macrae & Goldstein – first listed in 1871 as a silversmith. Alexander Macrae supplied many of the great firms at that time such as Elkington, Harry Emanuel...