antique old sheffield silver plate decanter stand tantalus 19th c

Good quality Elkington plate three bottle tantalus

This is an attractive Old Sheffield silver plated tantalusstand with three Bohemian decanters with stoppers, in the classic English style and circa1840 in date.The silver plated decanter stand has a central spade handle and waved scroll and form borders.The craftsmanship is second to none and this beautiful set is sure to add a touch of class to your dining experience.
Condition:In excellent condition, please see photos for confirmation of condition.
Dimensions in cm:Height 44 x Width 24 x Depth 23Dimensions in inches:Height 1 foot, 5 inches x Width 9 inches x Depth 9 inches
Our reference: 09283
Tantalusis a type of liquor decanter in which the bottle stoppers are locked down tightly by a metal bar. This was to prevent the theft of the contents by servants. Like the name suggests, the decanters themselves are visible, drawing temptation while unattainable. A key is required for entry.The most common types oftantalusholds three bottles or decanters while there are also smaller types housing only two. There are many different forms oftantalus. Often the encasement has metal handles on both sides and ornately carved decor. Crystal and metal versions are also a beautiful option when choosing atantalus.Tantalusderived its name from the story of the mythological Greek king, Tantalus. To betantalizedis to be tempted with the unattainable, and the king, condemned to an eternity in Hades, was sorely tested. He was forced to stand forever in water that, when he bent to drink, would recede and to gaze upon foods he could only reach for and never grasp.The1800ssaw our Victorian predecessors apply the King's name to the lockable decanter.
Old Sheffield Plate -or ‘fused plate' as it is sometimes known, was the first commercially viable method of plating metal. The material was accidentally invented byThomasBoulsover, ofSheffield'sCutlersCompany, in 1743. While trying to repair the handle of a customer's decorative knife, he heated it too much and the silver started tomelt. When he examined the damaged handle, he noticed that the silver and copper had fused together very strongly. Experiments showed that the two metals behaved as one when he tried to reshape them, even though he could clearly see two different layers.Boulsoverset up in business, funded byStrelleyPeggeofBeauchief, and carried out further experiments in which he put a thin sheet of silver on a thick ingot of copper and heated the two together to fuse them. When the composite block was hammered or rolled to make it thinner, the two metals were reduced in thickness at similar rates. Using this method,Boulsoverwas able to make sheets of metal which had a thin layer of silver on the top surface and a thick layer of copper underneath. When this new material was used to make buttons, they looked and behaved like silver buttons but were a fraction of the cost.The technique Boulsover developed was to sandwich an ingot of copper between two plates of silver, tightly bind it with wire, heat it in a furnace and then mill it out in to sheet, from which objects could be made.

Antiques.co.uk Ref: 2Q8BK4FNM

Width (cm):

24

Height (cm):

44

Depth (cm):

23

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