A Pair of Silver Vases and Covers
By Elkington & Co., Birmingham, 1909 and 1910
Each stamped with hallmarks and ELKINGTON & Co
30 ¾ in (78.2 cm) high, 17 in (43.1 cm) wide, 485 oz gross
cf. Elkington Drawing Book, 1910, inventory number 28231 (Elkington Archives, London)
30 ¾ in (78.2 cm) high, 17 in (43.1 cm) wide, 485 oz gross
cf. Elkington Drawing Book, 1910, inventory number 28231 (Elkington Archives, London)
Elkington & Co. is one of the most important names in English silver and certainly the most important in silver plate. The company formed as silversmiths in Birmingham in 1836, and experimented with improving gilding techniques. By 1838 Elkington had discovered and patented a new way to bond silver onto the surface of another metal using electricity, and rapidly went into production with silver electroplated wares. The company received financial backing from Josiah Mason in 1842 (renaming the firm Elkington, Mason & Co. between 1842 and 1861) and was extremely successful. It introduced electrotyping as a new method of production for silver plated items. Elkington & Co. exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851 with enormous success.
Elkington held Royal Warrants from Queen Victoria, King Edward VI, King George V, and King George VI. The Elkington & Co. name is still in use today as a manufacturer under the auspices of British Silverware Ltd.
Works by Elkington & Co. may be found in the collections at the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Elkington held Royal Warrants from Queen Victoria, King Edward VI, King George V, and King George VI. The Elkington & Co. name is still in use today as a manufacturer under the auspices of British Silverware Ltd.
Works by Elkington & Co. may be found in the collections at the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
