Victorian Silver Castle-Top Vinaigrette - Shakespeare's Birthplace
NATHANIEL MILLS, Birmingham 1847
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An extremely rare Victorian silver Castle-Top Vinaigrette of shaped oval form with scalloped edges, the cover engraved with a view of Shakespeare's Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon, with a flock of birds above within a decorative border, the base with central scroll bordered shield shaped cartouche monogrammed 'W.P', surrounded by repeating linear pattern of engraved decoration set to the diagonal within a plain border.
By Nathaniel Mills, Birmingham 1847.
Sold - £2,750.00
Condition
In fine condition with no damage or repair.
Dimensions
H
27 mm
(1.06 inches)
W
35 mm
(1.38 inches)
D
8 mm
(0.31 inches)
Weight
13.40 Grams
(0.43 troy ounces)
Country
England
Stock Code
MSC170
Medium
Silver
Literature
The house belonged originally to William's father John. John & Mary Shakespeare moved to Stratford in 1529 shortly after getting married and Stratford records show the Shakespeare family were residing in Henley Street by 1552. William was born in 1564 so it is assumed that this building was his birthplace.
The Shakespeare Birthday Committee obtained the Henley Street house in 1847 (the date of the Vinaigrette) and it was restored extensively.
The black and white half-timbered building facades of present day Stratford were not typical of Shakespeare's time. It was the Victorians in the 19th century that removed the plaster from the houses exposing the timbers.
