British silver and gold hallmarking have an extensive and complicated history, involving the introduction and abolition of certain hallmarks, and the extensive format changes of others. The result of the British hallmarking system is a strict and streamlined system that helps to regulate the purity and origins of precious and semi-precious metals. Henry II is […]
In the 1650s, the newest exciting development had arrived on Britain’s shores, this time it was tea from China. As it was brought back from overseas, tea was incredibly scarce and as such its price was very high; in 1664, the cost of tea was already 40s per pound, although this is not as high […]
A tankard is a lidded vessel used to drink out of, usually for beer or cider, and is often made of silver. The earliest known accounts referencing tankards date back as early as the 14th century, however, the earliest surviving tankards come from the 15th century. These early examples were often pear-shaped and have a […]
The word ‘salver’ likely stems from the Spanish word ‘salva’ which means ‘to preserve’. This makes sense when considering that salvers appear to originate from the Middle Ages as a way of presenting food to be tested in a time where the threat of poison was very real and widespread. Any flat dish can be […]
A canister for holding loose tea leaves, a tea caddy originates from the east in places such as China and India, and takes its name from the Malay ‘kati’ which means 1 ⅕ pounds. As such, early western tea caddies take their form from Chinese porcelain examples. These were most commonly rectangular or octagonal and […]