Silver & Objects of Vertu

Day One 22nd October: lots 1-471 – starting at 10.00am
Day Two 23rd October: lots 472-923 – starting at 10.00am

To view Day Two please click here. 

We are delighted to present our Silver & Objects of Vertu Autumn sale, taking place on Tuesday 22nd & Wednesday 23rd October 2024.

Day One includes The Simon Ward Collection of Wine Labels, Part One (lots 292-380). The collection was formed over thirty years and features some fascinating examples, including a 19th century silver novelty bat wine label (lot 376) and a George III silver clover leaf wine label (lot 369). One of the leading lots from our Foreign section is a late-19th century Russian silver gilt and cloisonné and champlêve enamel presentation punch bowl and five kovsh, retailed by Fabergé acquired by Nathaniel Melhuish Comins Stevens (1868 –1954) in 1899. Stevens purchased and presented the punch bowl to his Regiment upon his promotion to Captain as was the custom. For many years it stood on a centre table in the entrance hall of the Officers’ Mess. During a Ladies’ Guest Night, a woman was seen by a Mess servant putting one of the kovshi from the set into her handbag. This was reported to the mess Committee, who then considered if and how they should attempt to recover the kovsh without a public scandal. However, the history of their deliberations has not survived, and the kovsh was never recovered. In 1933 the Regiment was disbanded, and items of silver that had been presented to the Officers’ Mess over the years were returned to their donors. This set has remained in the family ever since.

Other highlights from our Foreign section include a late-17th century Baltic parcel-gilt silver tankard, by Mattheus Marcus Breustet, Riga, circa 1680 (lot 211), and a Spanish silver-gilt reliquary, unmarked, probably late-16th century (lot 205). A fine late-19th century four-piece Indian silver tea and coffee set, by Panna Lal, Alwar, north-eastern Rajasthan, circa 1880 also features (lot 201).

Please note viewing for this sale will take place at our Old Sarum Galleries.

Unit 1B, Castle Gate Business Park, Old Sarum, Salisbury, SP4 6QX