Elkington & Co. - Coffee and tea service (5) - Silverplated

Offered: a beautiful and rare 5-piece electroplated hotel silver coffee- and tea-service set, specially manufactured in the period circa 1955–1965 for the iconic five-star Claridge’s hotel in Mayfair, London. Claridge’s is renowned worldwide for its rich Art Deco history and legendary Afternoon Tea.

This set of heavy, durable quality was made by the world-famous English silversmith Elkington & Co. (Birmingham), the absolute pioneer in electroplating and a longstanding royal supplier to the most luxurious British hotels. The set is executed in a sleek Mid-Century / Art Deco style with streamlined geometric lines and distinctive dark wooden handles.

The base is Electroplated German Silver (nickel silver): an extremely heavy metal alloy coated with a thick layer of pure silver. This is the highest quality for hospitality, designed to withstand daily intensive polishing without revealing a red or yellow metal tone.

The set is unique in being completely complete and consists of:
• 1x High coffee- / hot-water pot (with wooden handle) (H15cm W25.5cm diameter 12cm, 1.09kg)
• 1x Teapot (with wooden handle) (H17cm W25.5cm diameter 11cm 990g)
• 1x Sugar pot with lid (H10cm diameter 9cm, 469g)
• 1x Milk jug (H10cm diameter 9cm 354g)
• 1x Large accompanying serving tray with handles (41cm by 32cm. 1.64kg)

Marks & inventory stamps:
As is customary with exclusive hotel orders, Elkington omitted its own brand name in favour of the hotel name. All parts bear the official hotel stamps. The specific letters and figures show the authentic logistics system used by the hotel kitchen, designed to quickly sort the service during busy Afternoon Tea:
• The service plate is stamped with "CLARIDGE G" (referring to the heavy German Silver base).
• The service pieces (the pots) are stamped with "CLARIDGE E" and "CLARIDGE 4" (the internal hotel codes for capacity / number of cups and the quality grade).

Condition:
In very good vintage condition with a lovely shine. Wear and light scratches in keeping with age and authentic, heavy hotel use. No major dents or serious loss of the silver layer.

A beautiful collectible for Art Deco lovers, hotel silver, or British luxury history. The set will be shipped with very careful, shock-proof packaging.”}