Mid 20th Century English Barker Ellis Silverplate Openwork & Cobalt Glass Lined Vessel

Details

Description

This English silverplate openwork vessel, marked for Barker Ellis of Birmingham, displays the firm’s characteristic precision in pierced metalwork and … Read more This English silverplate openwork vessel, marked for Barker Ellis of Birmingham, displays the firm’s characteristic precision in pierced metalwork and ornamental borders, combining functional refinement with decorative exuberance. The body rises in a gently flared, trumpet-like silhouette, its surface meticulously pierced with a regular lattice of diminutive quatrefoils bordered above and below by slotted, ribbon-like apertures that create a fluid, textile-like rhythm around the vessel. Through these openings, the deep cobalt glass liner—hand-blown with subtly tapered walls and a softly rolled rim—casts a luminous blue glow that animates the entire form in use.

The broad everted rim is enriched with an elaborate repoussé edge of floral and foliate motifs, framing an inner ring of repeating vertical tongues that radiate inward like stylized flames or sunbursts, giving the salt an impressive architectural presence when viewed from above. The removable cobalt liner underscores the object’s practicality within a formal table setting, allowing for easy cleaning while protecting the silver from corrosive salts.

The underside bears the Barker Ellis hallmark, including their globe-and-menorah trademark and “Made in England,” identifying one of Birmingham’s notable makers of late 19th- and early 20th-century silverplate known for finely executed pierced wares.

Measures: 6.125 inches wide × 3.6125 inches high. See less