A touch of nature in your home...

Today I wanted to feature an unusual item which might just catch your eye should you get down to the vaults for a look around.

Nature in design. Image via.

Found in many shapes and styles, its use might not be immediately obvious. People often ponder what these curious, yet charming objects might be.
Click through to read on and find out what it is...

1759

1759: The year that the British Museum and Kew Gardens were established and Arthur Guinness began brewing his eponymous ale.

The Battle of Quiberon Bay, November 20 1759, depicted by Richard Patton. Image via.
I often find myself admiring this beautiful teapot when looking around here in the shop.

George III sterling silver teapot. Click here to view on our website.

There is just something so pleasing about its style and shape. This charming pot bears a 1759 Edinburgh hallmark and was made by Lothian & Robertson. With its chased rococo decoration and pineapple finial I am sure it must have been considered quite quirky for its time.

When I look at this pot and its dateline it makes me wonder about all the things that must have been discussed over those cups of tea throughout its 256 year existence.

Firstly, when you consider the size of this teapot, the reasons are obvious, historically.

The price of tea was incredibly expensive at that time and also heavily taxed. As a result teapots produced at that time tended to be smaller than today. This was not a drink for the poor among us. The result of this high cost would be smuggling, which only dropped the price a little. Did any of those illicit leaves ever find the bottom of this pot?

Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle and former Prime Minister. Image via.

In 1759 it was the Whigs in power and the Prime Minister was Thomas Pelham-Holles. Another event politically which occurred in Kent that year was the birth of William Pitt the Younger who, just 24 years later, would become the youngest, and some consider one of the best leaders in British History. He would also prove to be a champion amongst tea drinkers.

This pot was ‘born’ in Scotland in 1759 and shares a birthdate with Scotlands most famous son, Robert Burns who was born on the 25th of January.

Whilst sipping tea and reading through the journals of the day one would have found the newspapers filled with stories of the Seven Years’ War.

In order to distract from the bloody battles which dominated the news, perhaps a cup of tea was imbibed in the parlour whilst playing what was to be the first British board game, ‘A Journey Through Europe’.

This little pot would have been serving up the tea when the news came through of the passing of King George II in 1760 and the succession to the throne by his grandson, King George III.

King George II, by Charles Jervas. Image via.

I’m sure this pot was likely used to offer up tea while discussing events in what would soon become the United States of America in 1776. It boggles the mind that a teapot is actually older than the U.S.A.

And I’m sure that a few years later the owner of this pot raised his cup in celebration at the news in 1784 that the then Prime Minister, William Pitt the Younger, slashed the tax on tea from an outrageous 119% to a more reasonable 12.5 percent. Cheers William.

This pot probably remained with its original purchaser through many births, deaths and marriages before likely being passed down to the next generation. Obviously this pot has continued to pour out the brew through the birth of many more nations, through wars and peace times will most likely continue to do so in the future. A long history past, and a future of stories yet untold.

I’ll drink to that.

The Best in Show? It must be Crufts...

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.
-Henry Wheeler Shaw

Diva dogs and impressive silverware: last year's Best in Show. Image via.

It seems to me the Queen appears at her most relaxed and happy when you see her in country attire surrounded by her beloved corgis. This most royal pup was first introduced to the family by King George IV and the Queen has had corgis since being given one on her 18th birthday. Today she has more than thirty.

It is fair to say she is most definitely a dog person.

There is no doubt that here in Britain we are a nation of dog lovers as well and at no time of year does this become more evident than when Crufts is on.

The Mighty Monteith

What’s In a Name?

There are many things in our day to day lives which we just accept without thinking and I suppose words are among them. I doubt many even stop to consider why things are called what they are. Who names things?

Image via.

You may have a concocted moniker of your own or perhaps have a nickname bestowed on you as a child.

All Hallow's Eve

Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

Image via.

It’s Halloween!
Well, the witching hour is nearly upon us once again. As a child, being Canadian, Halloween was almost as important to me as Christmas. The excitement would set in as soon as the calendar was turned to October. I’m not sure if it was the sweets or the costumes or the fact we were always allowed hot dogs for dinner on the night, but the powerful combination of all those good things at once meant it could never come quick enough.

Winter Nights by Candle Light

My candle burns at both ends

It will not last the night
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends It gives a lovely light

-Edna St. Vincent Millay

Some examples of our candlesticks and candelabra in popular styles.

Well, if the weather itself wasn't an indication that we are heading towards winter, then the clocks going back surely is. Those long dark evenings are upon us once again and the need to create a cosy atmosphere becomes ever stronger. What better way to create more light and ambience than with the glow of a candle?

Of course, for more than a hundred years, we have had access to electricity and are able to provide our homes with more light by the simple flick of a switch. It enables us to have the light we need for getting on with our daily lives, but sometimes candlelight creates that ambient mood we simply cannot achieve with mere electricity.

That Takes the Bake

There has definitely been a nip in the air recently and the nights seem to be drawing in ever closer. Reluctantly, I will be soon putting away those summer outfits and bringing out the autumn jumpers again.

The one thing that I do look forward to as the chill begins to creep in, is the return of comfort food.
I do love a great salad and a simple grill, but come September, I start to yearn for the warming foods of winter. Along with all the delicious soups and stews to warm the cockles, there is of course the excuse to bake, and with the Great British Bake Off finals done and dusted it’s hard not to feel a little inspired. Over 13 million of us tuned in, more than the World Cup Final!

The 3 Bake-Off Finalists. Image via.

Huge congratulations to Nancy, by the way, whose showstopper Moulin Rouge with moveable surgarwork windmill sails, won the day. The result of the programme means, once again, the nation is in a frenzy of caramel and custard.

Nancy with her winning creation. Image via.

Now, I’m never going to be the kind of girl to make a three-tiered extravaganza, but it does make me want to pull out the old recipe I learned at school. Though creating nothing as complicated as a choux bun tower, the aroma still wafts through the house as though there might be a star baker nearby.

The Great British Bake Off has really captured our hearts and, I reckon, most of us who have been watching are looking at our tins and loaf pans and feeling as though it may be time to don the pinny and give it a whirl.

It has been said that as a direct result of the show, supermarket sales have risen in the baking aisles. Apparently, membership for the Womens Institute has reached its highest levels since the seventies as well. I guess that’s the power of the fondant fancy.

Now, if you have been inspired and have managed to whip up some delightful treats to be admired and enjoyed, maybe all that hard work merits a bedazzling way to present and serve them.

Nothing makes a sweet sweeter than a beautiful stand to showcase all that effort and creativity. Or a lovely basket containing your freshly baked bread. An antique silver cake slice would surely be a fitting way to serve up that cake you've worked so hard on. And, of course, a lovely silver dessert fork so you can scoff the lot in style.

George V Sterling Silver Bread Dish. Click here to view on our website.

Victorian Silver Plate Revolving Top Breakfast Dish. Click here to view on our website.

Devour that dessert in style with this sterling silver dessert set. Click here to view on our website.

Adding a touch of elegance to the table can surely be no more than all your effort deserves.

London Cocktail Week

To paraphrase W.C. Fields :

“Everybody believes in something. I believe I’ll have another cocktail.”

With London Cocktail Week upon us again next week I thought it would be the perfect time to share with you a little history of the cocktail.

This event, which is now in its 5th year, will see bars all across London participating in a celebration of the cocktail.  

The fine silver cocktail service of the Rivoli Bar at the Ritz, London. Image via.

LAPADA

Next week an extraordinary and exclusive event happens right here in London. It’s The Lapada Fair!

Each year a collection of LAPADA members gather together under one roof to host the most spectacular event on the London Antiques' calendar.

Tall Ships Festival and a history of the Nef

“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made” - Robert N. Rose

The Tall Ships Festival, which takes place in Greenwich and along the Thames, is over for another year. If you were lucky enough to find yourself in the area then you would have enjoyed a spectacular sight. As many as 50 ships take part culminating in a Parade of Sail, in which all ships take to the river together to sail down the Thames.

A great ship graces the Thames in Greenwhich. Image via.

If you missed it this year you needn't worry as it’s an annual event.

So, with tall ships on my mind, I thought I might tell you about a ship I have the pleasure of admiring here in our shop. It is known as a nef and it really is one of my favourite things. 

Who was John Tann?

If you have ever had a chance to visit us here at the London Silver Vaults you may have noticed one name appearing on many of the doors. John Tann.

The Claret Jug

Well, Sunday was a big day for Rory McIlroy. The 25 year old won the British Open at the Royal Liverpool Golf Course. 

McIlroy proudly holding the winners' trophy, the famed Claret Jug. Image via.

With an early seven stroke advantage, the lead came down to only two strokes, with five holes still left to play. In the end, it was McIlroy who lifted the Claret Jug and he is now, hopefully, on his way to winning The Grand Slam. If he can achieve this he will be the second youngest ever winner of the Grand Slam, following only Tiger Woods who achieved this at 24. So, bring on The Masters and fingers crossed for Rory.

The trophy lifted by Rory McIlroy, is known as the Claret Jug, as that is exactly what it is. A silver jug mounted on a silver pedestal. When one thinks of a claret jug, one might tend to first think of a glass jug with a silver mount. However the all silver wine ewer was simply another type of claret jug reflecting the fashion of the time.

The Claret Jug, atop its impressive mount. Image via.

The Claret Jug trophy has been awarded to the winner of the Open since 1873. Previously the winner had been presented with a Challenge Belt. When "Young Tom Morris" took the title for a third consecutive time in 1870 he was given the belt to keep. A new trophy was needed for future championships.

Due to no new trophy being chosen, there was no British Open played in 1871. The British Open went ahead in 1872 but a new trophy was still yet to be chosen. The Open was won by Tom Morris again that year, but his name wasn't added to the trophy until 1873 when the new cup was finally ready.The new trophy was made by Mackay and Cunningham of Edinburgh and hallmarked in 1873.

So, in 1873 the new trophy was awarded for the first time, to Tom Kidd. The trophy that is awarded now is a copy of the original and is presented to the winner, who gets to keep it for the year before passing it on to the next champion.

Winners' names, hand engraved into the silver band. Image via.

The Claret Jug has seen a lot of the world since its making. Each champion becomes warden of the cup for the following year and therefore it travels the globe with the winner. It has been known to attend functions, visit the pub, be present at family barbecues, and has taken many a ride in the back of various taxis throughout the world. More than one winner has been known to keep it in the bedroom so that waking up next to it is a reminder that they really did win the British Open. A nice thing to wake up to, I should think.

Since 1927, the original Claret Jug resides permanently at the R&A club in St. Andrews, along with Tom Morris’ Challenge Belt, which the Morris family bequeathed to the R&A in 1908. The current jug was first awarded in 1928 and is presented to the winner annually. After the year is up the winner receives a replica which they can keep permanently.

It is tradition for the winner of the claret jug to drink from it. Over the years it has had many different drinks poured into it from beer to Guinness and, one should think, even the odd drop of claret. Apparently, Padraig Harrington's son even stashed his ladybugs in it.

Rory has been spotted filling his newly acquired prize with Jagermeister. This licorice liqueur, favoured by the serious party goers of today is usually served up as a ‘Jager Bomb’ . It may find itself now being seen as a drink of champions.

So where will this famous jug be spotted this year? Well, for 365 days that is up to Rory to decide. Wherever that may be, I hope he enjoys it. He deserves it.

This image of McIlroy's friend filling the famous jug with 'party spirit' recently went viral. Image via.

We have a great selection of wine ewers and claret jugs here at I. Franks. Click here to view a selection of antique ewers on our website.

Interesting links (excuse the pun):

Behind the Scenes at the R&A - BBC

The Man Certain to Get His Hands on the Claret Jug - How the Claret Jug is engraved

Hester Bateman

Hester Bateman's distinctive hallmark

I thought I might take the opportunity to consider not only one of the world's most famous silversmiths, but the most renowned female silversmith of all time… 

I’m a little teapot short and stout…

The perfect teapot? Taken from our website.

For many of us, when drinking a cup of tea we do no more than simply pop the bag into the cup and add hot water. Now, this is a fine way to get your morning cuppa in these rushed and hurried times, but sometimes don't you wish you could just slow down a moment and do things right?

Dream Dinner Parties...

It’s that time of year again. Taste of London is just around the corner. Originally launched in 2004 in the smaller venue of Somerset House, the festival moved to a more spacious home the following year, such was its popularity, and now takes place annually in Regent's Park, London. 
It seems that we can't help but embrace new trends in food and all things food related.

With that in mind I thought we should perhaps celebrate the ultimate food alter: the dinner table. 

Throughout history we have used food to honour, celebrate and quite frankly, just show off.

The more bizarre and lavish an affair one could throw, the more one was sure to make an impression.

Take a look here at a party once thrown by Salvador Dali in California.

The Tea Machine

First seen in the late 1700's, the tea machine is a very splendid thing indeed.

Image from History of Old Sheffield Plate,
by Frederick Bradbury.

Used to serve up different types of tea or in some cases, tea and coffee, the tea machine is perhaps the rarest and most collectable of items ever made in Old Sheffield Plate and considered the Holy Grail for Old Sheffield plate collectors. Also known as Tea Equipage, the cost to produce these charming and enigmatic objects meant few could afford them. They would most likely be found in aristocratic households, or homes of the very wealthy.