Burnell and Rowe

Description

This is an attractive George VI Sterling Silver Tea Strainer. The strainer has a round bowl with two hooks to go over the edge of your teacup and a tapering stem with a pierced scroll design at the end. There are no initials or personalisation of any kind.

The tea strainer was made by world famous silversmiths Mappin & Webb and assayed in London in 1944. Although assayed in London it was almost certainly made in Sheffield as that was the only English city approved to produce silverware during the Second World War. Silver was a restricted material during WW2 and silver items from the war years are comparatively rare.

Originally founded in 1810 by Joseph Mappin Snr, in 1859 the firm split into two parts which would become Mappin Brothers and Mappin & Webb. They were reunited when Mappin & Webb bought Mappin Brothers in 1902. The firm remained in the Mappin family until it was merged with Walker & Hall and Elkington & Co to form British Silverware in 1963.

Condition is good, with no dings, dents or damage and just the superficial surface wear that you would expect with use and the passage of time. Please make sure to view all the photographs.

The tea strainer is 14.6cm / 5.7ins long with the bowl being 5.6cm / 2.2ins in diameter and 1.7cm / 0.67ins deep. It weighs in at a very respectable 40.1g / 1.4oz of solid Sterling Silver.

The hallmarks, on the underside of the stem, are a little rubbed but still easy to read. They show the lion passant for Sterling Silver, the leopard's head assay mark for London, the date letter I for 1944 and the Mn & Wb makers' mark for Mappin & Webb.

Shipping in the UK is £6 by Royal Mail Tracked 24.
Overseas customers, please ask us about shipping costs to your country before making a purchase.