Description
Presented is a wonderful set of 4 English sterling silver salt cellars. Three of the salts were made by Robert Hennell & date to 1789, while the fourth salt was a later addition to the set, dating to 1871 & made by Thomas Smily. Nonetheless, the Victorian salt cellar matches the other three Georgian salt cellars perfectly. Each salt has a band of hand engraved bright cut decoration around the side, very intricate & exceptionally well done. The salts are done in a classical navette type form, with strap form handles. The interiors have a rich gold wash, to protect the silver from the corrosive properties of salt. Each salt has an engraved crest of a long-necked bird with its wings outspread, with a crown around its neck. This set is in great condition. The Victorian salt cellar has some minor wear to the gilt wash of the interior, as by that point in time a thinner layer of gold wash was typical than in earlier Georgian pieces. The details of the engraved designs are nice & crisp. There are no splits, no breaks, no dents, no monogram removals, & no repairs. Three of the salts are hallmarked on the underside with the lion passant for sterling silver, the leopard's head crowned for the city of London, the date letter o for 1789, King George III's head duty mark, & the maker's mark for Robert Hennell. The fourth salt is hallmarked with the lion passant for sterling silver, the leopard's head for the city of London, the date letter q for 1871, Queen Victoria's head duty mark, & the maker's mark for Thomas Smily. Each salt measures about 5 1/2 inches from handle to handle & stands about 3 inches tall. The total weight for the set is 381 grams or 13.4 regular ounces. -jm 4 Antique English Sterling Silver Hand Engraved Bright Cut Open Salt Cellars
