Burnell and Rowe

Description

This is a smart late Victorian Sterling Silver Pepper Shaker. The shaker has an oblong base standing on four ball feet. The pear shaped body is part reeded and the lid has a gadrooned rim and a pointed finial. The interior is gilded. There are no initials or personalisation of any kind.

The pepper shaker was made in Birmingham by silversmith William Aitken and dates to 1900, the last full year of Queen Victoria's long reign. William Aitken founded his firm in Vyse Street in Birmingham’s famous Jewellery Quarter in the late 1880s. He produced a wide range of silverware for both domestic and personal use and had pieces assayed in Birmingham and Chester. He remained in business into the early 1920s.

Condition is very good, with no dings or dents and just the superficial surface wear that you would anticipate after over 125 years of good service. The lid fits securely but only one way round, it's a little loose if placed the other way round. Please make sure to view all the photographs.

The pepper shaker is 8.2cm / 3.2ins high, 4.2cm / 1.6ins wide and 3.4cm / 1.3ins deep. It weighs in at a respectable 32.5g / 1.15oz of solid Sterling Silver.

The hallmarks, on the front of the body, are nice and clear to read. They show the lion passant for Sterling Silver, the anchor assay mark for Birmingham, the date letter a for 1900 and the W.A makers' mark for William Aitken.

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.