Lot 521: A Collection of Victorian Sterling Silver Repoussé Vanity Items
A set of Victorian sterling silver-cased vanity items featuring an ornate repoussé design. The decoration depicts five cherub heads surrounded by clouds and foliate scrolls, a motif known as Reynolds’ Angels after the painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds. The collection includes a hand mirror, a hairbrush, a clothes brush, and a cut-glass jar with a silver lid. The brushes are fitted with natural bristles and the jar is crafted from diamond-point cut glass. Each silver component bears a series of struck hallmarks. On the side of the clothes brush, a vertical row of four marks consists of a lowercase letter u in a shield, a lion passant (sterling silver fineness mark), an anchor (Birmingham assay office mark), and a maker’s mark consisting of the initials W and M separated by a horizontal line within a quatrefoil cartouche. The date letter u in this shield shape corresponds to the year 1894.
Condition report:
The silver surfaces show widespread tarnish and a heavy patina, particularly in the deep recesses of the repoussé work (photo 1). Small dents and pin-bashing are visible on the raised portions of the design, notably on the mirror handle and the jar lid (photo 1). The natural bristles on both brushes show discolouration consistent with use but appear largely intact (photo 2). The hallmarks on the clothes brush are clear and legible (photo 2). The glass jar appears free of major chips or cracks.
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