1880’s Victorian Meriden Britannia Quadruple Plate Figural Swan Covered Vessel

Details

Description

This is a late 19th-century figural swan vessel by the Meriden Britannia Company of Meriden, Connecticut, one of the most … Read more This is a late 19th-century figural swan vessel by the Meriden Britannia Company of Meriden, Connecticut, one of the most important American manufacturers of silver-plated wares during the Victorian era. Dating to approximately 1880–1900, the piece is executed in quadruple silver plate, the premium grade of silver plating marketed by leading American manufacturers during the period.

The vessel takes the form of a beautifully modeled full-bodied swan, with remarkably detailed feathering extending across the body, wings, neck, and tail. The distinctive construction of the wing is elegantly fitted with a working hinge and functions as the lid, lifting to reveal a recessed circular well within the body.

The underside retains its original impressed marks for “Meriden B. Company” and “Quadruple Plate,” together with the factory/model number 18. Meriden Britannia was renowned for increasingly elaborate and imaginative silver-plated hollowware during the second half of the 19th century and became part of the International Silver Company in 1898.

Today, this unusual swan is best enjoyed as a petite decorative curiosity, equally charming on a writing desk, vanity, side table, or displayed among a collection of elegant objets.”

I think the second version fits the piece especially well.

Maker: Meriden Britannia Company
Origin: Meriden, Connecticut, USA
Period: Victorian
Date: Circa 1880–1900
Material: Quadruple silver plate
Factory / Model Number: 18 See less