Silver Services in the Spotlight

The Silver Auction at McTear’s on Thursday 25 April brought an unusual Art Deco silver tea service (lot 833) into the spotlight.  The service was consigned by a local vendor and estimated at £200-300.  Interest in the lot was evident in viewing in the lead up to the auction and the abundance of condition reports for the service promised an exciting lot.  The service is by J. Gloster Ltd and was assayed in Birmingham in 1937, towards the end of the Art Deco period.  The tea pot, sugar and cream are of circular shape with stepped foot border - a rare design, even for Art Deco.  The tea service far exceeded its estimate when the hammer fell at £1,000 to a bidder on the internet in London.

The category of Art Deco is always a popular one.  However this was not the only impressive silver tea service in the auction.  A stunning Victorian silver tea and coffee service (lot 815) by Walker & Hall also received much attention.  Assayed in Sheffield in 1895, the service is of elongated form and comprises tea pot, coffee pot, sugar and cream.  Each piece is chased and embossed with an elaborate pattern of thistles, foliage and oval reeded motifs.  Each piece is raised on a stepped circular foot and has a beaded border to the rim.  Consigned by a local vendor, the service was estimated at £800-1,200, the service fetched £1,300 when it sold to an online bidder based in England.

Not only this, lot 868 was an interesting Georgian silver tea service, assayed in London in 1822-23.  Of squat, circular form, the lot comprises a tea pot, sugar and cream and is richly chased and embossed with foliate designs and applied cast figural decoration to handles.  Despite its age, the service was in good condition. Lot 868 was estimated at £400-600 but reached over that to £700.

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Do you have a silver tea service you would like valued? For a complimentary auction valuation contact Hannah Hughes on 0141 810 2880 or hannah@mctears.co.uk.