A Very Fine Pair of Silver Tureens or Serving Dishes London 1868 by Robert Harper
£7,500
An extremely unusual pair of mid Victorian silver tureens and covers in Greek revival style. Each of circular pedestal form with wide beaded and ovolo moulded rims above openwork sides with four ram’s head mounted supports enclosing a plain silver bowl liner. The lower body fluted and raised on a short knopped stem to a domed circular foot with gadrooned decoration. The removable lid embossed with stylised foliate borders and surmounted with a cast silver finial of the head of Athena, Greek goddess of war. She wears her helmet with a feather tailed dragon crest.
All parts fully marked for London 1868 by Robert Harper. Also marked with French import mark. This means that the pieces were at sometime in their lives transported to France and then at some later stage brought back to England.
These are an exceptional and extremely unusual pair of tureens or serving dishes of very attractive form and execution. The silver is of very good gauge and the silversmithing is of the very highest. The cast silver finials and the cast ram’s heads and their featheredge supports are exceptional by any standard. No signs of damage or repair to either piece and of excellent colour and patina.
Height: 18cm or 7 inches
Diameter of bowl: 16cm or 6.25 inches
Weight: 1805g or 63.7 ounces or 58 ounces Troy
