This listing is for a fabulous example of English Old Sheffield Plate (OSP) silver plate footed master salt cellar with a cobalt glass liner, c. early 1800's.
Measures 1 5/8" high, 4 1/8" long and 3 3/8" wide.
This stunning master salt has a intricately chased floral design around the upper rim and masks on each of the feet. The piece in excellent Estate condition with no flaws, problems or repairs. The cobalt liner is in nice condition with only a few no-harm nicks on the upper edge (see photos).
Although "Old Sheffield Plate" is actually a plated silver, the process of making this silver is completely different than the electroplating process we know today. The process of "fusing" silver and copper was discovered in 1743 and the process was used to make "silver" items available to those who could not afford solid silver "Sterling" items being produced by silversmiths of the late 1700s and early 1800s. This silver was produced by placing a thin sheet of Sterling silver over a thicker sheet of copper and then heating the two to fuse the layers together. The composite "block" was then hammered or rolled to make it thinner in order to work into the desired designs. This process was very labor intensive but produced a product more economical than using solid silver. The manufacture of Old Sheffield Plate was generally discontinued in 1840 with the discovery of the electroplating silver-plating process still used today.
One distinctive feature of Old Silver Plate is that the outer edge of the item often has a mellow glow with the exposure of the copper under layer. On pieces with both sides to be exposed, the copper layer was often "sandwiched" between two layers of Sterling. This beautiful old silver should be properly labeled "Old Sheffield Plate" and not confused with "Sheffield" silverplate. This category of silver is highly desired by collectors today and choice pieces are getting harder to find.
We welcome International buyers, however, please note that we as sellers have no control over random Customs inspections. We are not responsible for any Customs charges incurred as a result of this purchase.
We at Antiques & Moore have been in the Antiques business for over 30 years and try to describe our items as accurately as possible. Although all sales are considered final, if there is an error in our description or a problem with our item, we will issue a full refund of the purchase price if contacted within 3 days after receipt of item, however, please note that we can not refund shipping charges. We are happy to answer any questions and always appreciate your business!