Gold and Enamel Vinaigrette, Mid-19th Century Work

Rectangular, enameled gold vinaigrette. The hinged lid is decorated with enamel on gold and displays a view of an Alpine lake in front of a mountain range. The sides of the vinaigret...

Diamond-shaped vinaigrette with enameled gold and bordered with pearls. The hinged lid is decorated with four winged cupid heads floating in the clouds. The sides of the lid are embe...

This is an antique Victorian gold vinaigrette box pendant. The vinaigrette is richly engraved with a floral decor. Vinaigrettes were used for solid fragran...

THIS IS A WONDERFUL ANTIQUE VICTORIAN HEART SHAPE LOCKET, MATCH HOLDER STRIKER OR PERFUME VINAIGRETTE BY THE ESTEEMED BRITISH SILVERSMITH WILLIAM HAIR HASELER. HASELER WAS FAMED FOR PARTNERING WITH LIBERTY & CO. OF LONDON AND PRODUCING THE WORKS DESIGNED BY ARCHIBALD KNOX. THE SILVER LOCKET PENDANT IS IN THE FORM OF A HEART. IT HAS BEAUTIFUL ACANTHUS LEAF SCROLL MOTIF ENGRAVING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE LOCKET. ON ONE SIDE ARE THREE VICTORIAN INITIALS AT THE BOTTOM. THE LOCKET HAS A MATCH STRIKER ON ONE SIDE. THE HEART MOTIF IS BEAUTIFULLY RENDERED IN THIS ANTIQUE JEWEL. THE LOCKET IS ALSO A WONDERFUL PIECE OF TOBACCIANA WITH ITS MATCH HOLDER AND STRIKER DESIGN. THE HEART LOCKET DATES TO CIRCA 1870-1900. William Hair Haseler was born to John and Sarah Evett (Hair) Haseler in 1821/1822 in Birmingham, England. In 1870, Haseler founded the company, W. H. Haseler & Co., specializing in gold and silver work, and jewelry. Five years later, Arthur Lasenby Liberty (1843-1917) started a small shop on the corner of Regent Street in London. Specializing in exotic goods from Japan and the Far East, his business thrived and he became a leading merchant to the upper classes, including famous members of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. The store soon became the most fashionable place to shop in London, featuring luxurious wares including fabrics, clothing, furniture, clocks, jewelry, wallpapers and decorative objects of all kinds. His efforts to promote the Art Nouveau style, with its depiction of leaves and flowers in flowing ornamental lines, were so influential that the term “Stile Liberty” became the accepted term for the style in Italy. During the 1890s, Liberty formed relationships with many leading English designers. In 1898, Liberty and Haseler created a formal partnership to launch the Cymric silver...