Object Description
This is a beautiful antique Victorian walnut boxed silver plated fruit serving and eating set of cutlery with maker’s marks for the renowned silversmiths George Shadford Lee & Henry Wigfull, Circa 1870 in date.
The set consists of twelve pairs of silver plated fruit forks and knives with the most exquisite shaped mother of pearl handles, with engraved decoration, together with a pair of berry spoons, two pairs of nutcrackers, a pair of grape scissors, etc.
The interior is finished in plush royal gold velvet silk and features the registration number: RD70203
This is a fabulous set which will gracefully adorn any table.
Condition:
This is the complete set and it is in really excellent condition.
Dimensions in cm:
Height 11 x Width 44 x Depth 30
Dimensions in inches:
Height 4.3 x Width 17.3 x Depth 11.8
Walnut & Burr Walnut
Walnut is a hard, dense, tight- grained wood that polishes to a very smooth finish. It is a popular and attractive wood whose colour ranges from near white in the sapwood to a dark hew in the heartwood. When dried in a kiln, walnut wood tends to develop a dull brown colour, but when air-dried can become a rich purplish-brown. Because of its colour, hardness and grain, it is a prized furniture and carving wood. Walnut veneer was highly priced and the cost would reflect the ‘fanciness’ of the veneer – the more decorative, then the more expensive and desirable.
Burr walnut refers to the swirling figure present in nearly all walnut when cut and polished, and especially in the wood taken from the base of the tree where it joins the roots. However the true burr is a rare growth on the tree where hundreds of tiny branches have started to grow. Burr walnut produces some of the most complex and beautiful figuring you can find.
Walnut “burrs” were often used to make fabulous furniture. Veneer sliced from walnut burl is one of the most valuable and highly prized by cabinet makers and prestige car manufacturers and is also a favourite material for shotgun stocks.
Inlay was commonly used in the production of decorative burr walnut furniture, where pieces of coloured veneers are inlaid into the surface of the walnut, adding delicate or intricate patterns and designs. Inlays normally use various exotic veneers, but other materials such as mother-of-pearl, brass or bone were also be used.
Our reference: A1240