Sussex Heritage: The timeless appeal of silver
All of us love the idea of a table beautifully laid with silver cutlery the crystal glass caught in the candlelight and tea made in a silver tea pot, and this drives the enduring appeal of silver which has fascinated the human eye over thousands of years.
And yet for many of us the reality is that our silver lies expensively insured and carefully wrapped, hidden from sight in cupboards and drawers. The busyness of modern life seems to have put us under pressure and made us time poor. So, often it is the best dishwasher proof cutlery, glass and china which dresses our dining tables.
Since the earliest times silver has been prized by people for its malleability and strength which allows it to be formed into the most wonderful objects and jewellery, its lustrous surface reflecting light with a particular beauty which never fails to delight. It has always been a symbol of status and wealth. Silver holds a timeless appeal.
Silver like fine furniture acquires a creamy patina. If you’re storing your silver, elastic-bands and newspaper badly effect the surface of silver so you need silver bags, or acid-free tissue.
Across the millennia silver has also been prized for its medicinal properties, its ability to disrupt bacteria. It’s highly conductive of electricity and important to high tech manufacturing.
But for me, I’ve always celebrated the craftsmanship of silversmiths from any age. The prices for silver objects is extraordinarily high. The Elizabeth II twelve place canteen of silver King's pattern cutlery, was hallmarked in Sheffield in 1962 and was made by Cooper Brothers & Sons, was finely crafted but not early in date and it realised £5200 in a recent Toovey’s specialist silver sale. An equally remarkable price of £1000 was paid for an everyday George V three piece tea service made in 1920 by James Dixon and Sons Ltd who were prolific makers of domestic metalwork, particularly silver and plated wares.
There’s little joy in things which lie forgotten and unused in cupboards and drawers. How often do we decide to prune our collections or declutter only to find that we’ve picked the wrong moment to sell and that the market is against us. But there has never been a better time to sell our silver. Whether you are looking to invest in or release your silver Toovey’s specialist and Director, Tom Rowsell is always delighted to share his passion for silver with others and advise.
Rupert Toovey is a senior director of Toovey’s, the leading fine art auction house in West Sussex, based on the A24 at Washington - www.tooveys.com- and a priest in the Church of England Diocese of Chichester.