Elkington & Co. - Coaster (6) - Silverplated
06
days
00
hours
30
minutes
05
seconds
No bids placed
Catawiki Buyer Protection
Your payment’s safe with us until you receive your object.View details
Trustpilot 4.4 | 135538 reviews
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot.
Description from the seller
Magnificent set of 6 silver-plated coasters, Sheffield, produced by Elkington & Co.
Rare, superbly stylish set, made in the United Kingdom, silver-plated. Objects of great refinement and elegance, perfect for adding a touch of class to any table with a Made in England product from one of Sheffield's most important manufacturers.
In excellent overall condition.
Diameter 7 cm, glass space 6.5 cm.
Elkington & Co is one of the most important names in England for silver and Sheffield. They started the company in Birmingham in 1836. In 1838 they discovered and patented a new way to plate one metal onto the surface of another. The company is best known for registering the first galvanic silvering patents around 1840, by which time production was already underway.
The Elkington & Co company quickly realized the great potential of this discovery, so it focused all its efforts on obtaining control over this new process, buying up every possible patent both in England and abroad, taking over rival companies and hiring all the best craftsmen of the period. Elkington thus obtained a monopoly on the galvanic process, so anyone wanting instructions had to go to Birmingham to the Elkington & Co Company and pay a Royalty, which was essentially a royalty, since their filed patent was used for commercial purposes.
Royalties were not fixed, but every contract could have a different price. In fact, at the beginning it was required that in addition to the silversmith’s mark they also put that of the Elkingtons.
Old Sheffield manufacturers, to switch their pieces to galvanic silvering, would thus have had to go to the Elkingtons. But the pride of many manufacturers was such that they refused to submit to their demands: only about a third of the large Old Sheffield manufacturers survived beyond the mid-1800s. Elkington & Co exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851 held at Hyde Park in London inside the Crystal Palace built especially for the event. They achieved enormous success.
The company received financial backing from Josiah Mason in 1842 (renaming the venture Elkington, Mason & Co between 1842 and 1861) and it was a great success.
It mainly produces common household and hotel items in a wide range of motifs, especially Renaissance-inspired. It licenses silver plating to other famous firms such as the French Christofle. In spite of its extensive activity in the silver metal sector, Elkington also makes high-quality solid silver pieces and is one of the firms that produced works designed by Christopher Dresser.
Seller's Story
My name is Riccardo, I recently graduated in Art History from the University of Florence and I am passionate about porcelain. From tableware to artist vases, from figurines to tea and coffee sets, I am fascinated by the mastery and the ability of great artisans and designers who shape this so fragile material, turning a raw mass into masterpieces with a story to tell. During my years at university I became interested in the history of 19th- and 20th-century tableware art; today, every day, I work with prestigious porcelain pieces that always have something to say to me and to those who purchase them. Of my work I love that I can discover more about the objects I find as I travel around Italy, always learning something new. I always strive to convey to my clients this passion I have for the objects I sell, certain that each one of them has a story to tell: the story of who created it, the story of who preserved it, and the story of who will give it a new life.
Translated by Google TranslateMagnificent set of 6 silver-plated coasters, Sheffield, produced by Elkington & Co.
Rare, superbly stylish set, made in the United Kingdom, silver-plated. Objects of great refinement and elegance, perfect for adding a touch of class to any table with a Made in England product from one of Sheffield's most important manufacturers.
In excellent overall condition.
Diameter 7 cm, glass space 6.5 cm.
Elkington & Co is one of the most important names in England for silver and Sheffield. They started the company in Birmingham in 1836. In 1838 they discovered and patented a new way to plate one metal onto the surface of another. The company is best known for registering the first galvanic silvering patents around 1840, by which time production was already underway.
The Elkington & Co company quickly realized the great potential of this discovery, so it focused all its efforts on obtaining control over this new process, buying up every possible patent both in England and abroad, taking over rival companies and hiring all the best craftsmen of the period. Elkington thus obtained a monopoly on the galvanic process, so anyone wanting instructions had to go to Birmingham to the Elkington & Co Company and pay a Royalty, which was essentially a royalty, since their filed patent was used for commercial purposes.
Royalties were not fixed, but every contract could have a different price. In fact, at the beginning it was required that in addition to the silversmith’s mark they also put that of the Elkingtons.
Old Sheffield manufacturers, to switch their pieces to galvanic silvering, would thus have had to go to the Elkingtons. But the pride of many manufacturers was such that they refused to submit to their demands: only about a third of the large Old Sheffield manufacturers survived beyond the mid-1800s. Elkington & Co exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851 held at Hyde Park in London inside the Crystal Palace built especially for the event. They achieved enormous success.
The company received financial backing from Josiah Mason in 1842 (renaming the venture Elkington, Mason & Co between 1842 and 1861) and it was a great success.
It mainly produces common household and hotel items in a wide range of motifs, especially Renaissance-inspired. It licenses silver plating to other famous firms such as the French Christofle. In spite of its extensive activity in the silver metal sector, Elkington also makes high-quality solid silver pieces and is one of the firms that produced works designed by Christopher Dresser.
Seller's Story
My name is Riccardo, I recently graduated in Art History from the University of Florence and I am passionate about porcelain. From tableware to artist vases, from figurines to tea and coffee sets, I am fascinated by the mastery and the ability of great artisans and designers who shape this so fragile material, turning a raw mass into masterpieces with a story to tell. During my years at university I became interested in the history of 19th- and 20th-century tableware art; today, every day, I work with prestigious porcelain pieces that always have something to say to me and to those who purchase them. Of my work I love that I can discover more about the objects I find as I travel around Italy, always learning something new. I always strive to convey to my clients this passion I have for the objects I sell, certain that each one of them has a story to tell: the story of who created it, the story of who preserved it, and the story of who will give it a new life.
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Era
1900-2000
No. of items
6
Country of origin
United Kingdom
Manufacturer/brand
Elkington & Co.
Material
Silverplated
Condition
Excellent condition: barely used with minimal signs of wear
Height
1 cm
Width
9 cm
Depth
9 cm
Estimated period
1920-1930
