Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Co. Sterling and Cut-Glass Sugar Caster, 1911

Details

Description

An English Edwardian sterling-silver and cut-glass muffineer or sugar caster, fully hallmarked for London, 1911. Its strongly geometric glass body … Read more An English Edwardian sterling-silver and cut-glass muffineer or sugar caster, fully hallmarked for London, 1911. Its strongly geometric glass body and architectural silver top create a handsome contrast between brilliant faceted glass and polished sterling silver.

The tall glass body has a tapering rectangular form with chamfered corners and a substantial base. Each side is wheel-cut with intersecting diagonal bands forming a diamond lattice, accompanied by fan cuts, starbursts, and elongated leaf-like motifs. Deeply beveled corners and polished facets refract light across the surface, displaying the precision associated with fine early 20th-century cut glass.

The removable silver top screws onto the threaded glass neck. It is formed with a broad lower collar, a tapering bell-shaped body, and a stepped domed cap surmounted by a compressed-ball finial. Six-pointed star-shaped apertures are pierced around the body to distribute powdered sugar in a controlled decorative pattern. Although the openings resemble the Star of David, no additional Jewish iconography indicates that the object was specifically intended as Judaica; the star was also a familiar Victorian and Edwardian decorative motif.

The hallmarks comprise a maker’s punch, apparently G&S and probably that of the Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Company; the lion passant confirms it. 925 sterling silver; the crowned leopard’s head for the London Assay Office; and the lowercase “q” date letter for 1911. The maker’s mark is compressed, so the attribution remains qualified.

Originally used to dispense powdered or caster sugar over muffins, toast, fruit, berries, puddings, and pastries, it may also serve cinnamon, cocoa, or another finely ground condiment.

Dimensions: 5.5 in. H × 2.5 in. W × 2 in. D.

Condition: Presents well with light surface wear consistent with age and use. See less