72-piece King's Pattern Canteen, London 1837 by William Theobalds
We
are offering for sale an excellent seventy two piece flatware and
cutlery service in
King's Pattern
King's Pattern is the most well known and popular decorative patterns. It was based on an 18th century French design and became fashionable amongst the wealthy in the early years of the 19th Century. The design encompasses a shell to both sides of the handle terminal and reverse of the bowl, scrolls down the handle shaft with a honeysuckle motif to the centre. The double-struck nature of the pattern (i.e. pattern on both sides) ensures that a good gauge of silver was used in manufacture and therefore the majority of London-made pieces in this pattern have a hefty feel in the hand. The best quality King's Pattern was made in London, where it was hand-wrought and has a high relief to the decoration. 20th Century machine made King's Pattern from Sheffield is lower in relief and generally has a less interesting appearance and lighter weight.
The Maker
William Theobalds is one of the lesser known names in Georgian flatware making. However, although his output may have been comparatively small, it was always of the very highest quality. He had connections with most of the famous names in English silver and was a known supplier to Garrards (the Crown Jewellers and silver suppliers to King George IV and William IV), Eley & Fearn, Paul Storr & Chawner & Co. Much of Theobald's work was probably stamped with the mark of these other producers
The
knives were made in Sheffield by Martin Hall & Co and Aaron Hadfield. The
dies used are probably the same as Martin Hall & Co. bought out Hadfield in
the 1840's.
The Service
All the pieces in this 12 place settings canteen are in excellent condition and have a good solid feel in the hand. Each spoon and fork has a good hefty weight and very crisp double-struck decoration. The pieces have the bonus of being free from engraved initials/crests. All 48 spoons and forks bear the hallmarks for London 1837 by William Theobalds (WT).
Knives were traditionally sold separately from spoon and forks. These knives are top quality Sheffield examples with no engraved initials/crests. Finding straight sets of 12 antique knives in good condition is a rare achievement. N.B. there are a few pin prick holes to the high points of some decoration (difficult to see but mentioned for accuracy). The table knives are hallmarked for Sheffield 1840's by Martin Hall & Company. The dessert knives are hallmarked for Sheffield 1836 by Aaron Hadfield.
Components and Measurements
This 72-piece service consists of the following:
-
12 off table/soup spoons; length: 9" (229mm); weight: 1205 grams (38.7 tr. oz.);
-
12 off table/dinner forks; length: 8.1" (206mm); weight: 1230 grams (39.5 tr. oz.);
-
12 off dessert or starter forks; length: 6.9" (175mm); weight: 760 grams (24.4 tr. oz.);
-
12 off dessert spoons; length: 7.2" (183mm); weight: 756 grams (24.3 tr. oz.);
-
12 off table/dinner knives; length: 9.8" (249mm);
-
12 off dessert or starter knives; length: 8.4" (213mm)
The total weight of silver is 3951 grams (127 tr. oz.) . This weight does not include the twenty four knives.
Condition
Excellent. All the fork tines are full length and the spoon bowls are unworn. The knives have had their original carbon steel blades replaced with more practicable stainless steel blades.
Presentation
This canteen benefits from being presented in a Kenized box. The external fabric is burgundy in colour and the brown interior has anti-tarnish qualities. The cover can be rolled back when in use or zipped up and closed by way of press studs. Extra space is available at both ends (under the knives) for additional storage. If you prefer, the box can be exchanged for navy blue anti-tarnish cutlery rolls.
As with all the canteens available from our web-site, we are happy to send a sample place setting for approval, on receipt of a fully refundable surety payment, prior to purchasing this canteen.
| Ref.: SAF/209 | Price: SOLD | Postage: FREE |
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