John Grinsell & Sons Sheffield and Silverplate

Antique English SilverPlate Biscuit Box, circa 1880.

This is a highly decorative antique Victorian silver plated folding biscuit box, the base bearing the makers' mark of the renowned silversmiths Fenton Brothers of Sheffield, England, circa 1890 in date and bearing the Staniforth's Patent mark as well as the registration number 3549. It has a beautifully shaped body sitting in a cast frame with remarkably chased branch supports and the original interior features elegant hand-pierced dividers. It opens out into two halves and is held shut by gorgeous laurel wreath loose ring handles at the top. This wonderful container could house anything from sweets to biscuits or trinkets. Whatever you choose to store in this lovely item you are sure to do it in style. Condition: In excellent condition, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 25 x width 19 x depth 15 Dimensions in inches: Height 10 inches x width 7 inches x depth 6 inches Fenton Brothers Ltd Sheffield Firm established in 1875 at South Moor Works, East Street, Sheffield by John Frederick Fenton...

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Offered is a stunning Sheffield silver keepsake box dating to 1900, with associated hallmark. This small box includes a clean interior and rounded corners. The box is free of names or initials, but would have been used to house keepsakes such as jewelry or cufflinks. A well maintained, elegant piece, this antique silver box is an excellent addition to any silver collection. Trinket or keepsake boxes have taken on many forms since their first conception in ancient times. However their purpose remains the same; to store jewelry and other items precious to the owner. Originally, these boxes were used specifically for jewelry. These were in common use as early as 5000 BC in Ancient Egypt, when the majority of Egyptians, both male and female, wore jewelry. Boxes were used to keep these gemstone encrusted items safe. In Ancient Rome, jewelry was a status symbol. Rings and brooches were utilized to represent ones status in society. Again, boxes were needed for security and storage purposes. Finding early examples of these are quite rare. Victorian and Edwardian examples of trinket boxes are far more common. This is because owning jewellery was a luxury until the Victorian era- let alone possessing so much a box was needed to store it all. Fine jewelry and other items became available to the masses after the industrial revolution due to the reduction in production costs. This led to a demand for trinket boxes, which were much smaller than jewelry boxes and therefore better suited to the needs of the middle class who did not yet possess an abundance of jewelry. In Victorian households, collectables and other items of interested were also stashed inside these boxes. This is why they are known as trinket or keepsake boxes, rather than just jewelry boxes, although of course jewelry was also stored in them. Trinket boxes were produced in large numbers around this time. Many were lined with colored plush or velvet or rich wood. More elaborate designs had interior divisions and trays for rings and other pieces of jewellery. It was also common to see trinket boxes so small that they could only contain one item, such as a single ring. Ornate exteriors were created to reflect the value of the trinket boxes contents. The Edwardian era saw the introduction of new styles of trinket box. These included small circular or oblong boxes...

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Old English sheffield silver plate covered biscuit box / tea caddy with exterior floral design details & finial top cover. The tea caddy / box is in good condition. Minor wear consis...

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