Antique Mappin Brothers Silver Plate Urn Pot
This antique urn pot is offered as a classic example of late nineteenth-century silver plate. Its campana-style form, with a flared rim, gently tapering body and pedestal foot, follows the neoclassical urn designs popular in Britain during the Victorian period. The catalogue hint attributes it to Mappin Brothers, the Sheffield firm long associated with high-quality silver plate and domestic metalware, and dates it to 1896. The piece has two scroll handles set to the shoulder and a band of carved fluting beneath the waist. The rim is decorated with a cast acanthus leaf border, and the foot is ringed with a repeating leaf motif and stepped mouldings. Its underside is marked with a maker’s stamp and numerals, which the buyer may wish to examine further.
Condition and Collector Appeal
The urn shows the wear expected of a piece of this age, including an overall dark patina, minor scuffs and scratches to the body, and light marks to the interior of the bowl. The chasing and moulding remain crisp in most areas, and the cast detail to the rim and foot is still clearly legible. Originality is evident in the untouched surface, the maker’s markings and the handles, which retain their period character. Pieces of this kind appeal to collectors of Victorian metalware, Sheffield plate and classical-revival decorative arts, as well as to buyers seeking a characterful vessel for a period interior, a planter or a display piece. Buyers are encouraged to view the photographs and enquire about any particular area before bidding.