A beautiful ice bucket made of precious ground crystal; the shaped handle, the frame on the edge and the finely engraved lid are silver-plated; crystal with a lead content of 30% (a material developed in England by George Ravenscroft in the second half of the 17th century), which is very bright and transparent, was used for its manufacture; The bucket has been embellished with graceful and delicate floral grinding in perfect Victorian style, executed by hand and with meticulous care using small circular stone wheels, while the large stars and pods starting from the bottom have been cut, ground and polished; with these ancient and complex techniques, the Master Craftsman has created a pleasant contrast with extraordinary reflections; the sturdy handle is moulded with refinement and the lid is finely hand-engraved with Victorian motifs. Inside the lid is a mark certifying that the item was made in 1858 by silversmith Joseph Mappin & Brothers in the city of Sheffield. The company traces its origins back to 1775 when Jonathan Mappin opened a silverware workshop in Sheffield, an important centre of the English silver trade. In time, other members of the family joined the business, which became 'Mappin & Brothers', producing various silverware, cutlery and mounted crystal in sterling silver and silver plated. In 1862 Mappin was joined by his brother-in-law George Webb and the company became Mappin Webb & Co. whose importance and reputation quickly spread throughout the UK and the world. Our ice bucket, with its delightful and graceful shape, tells us these wonderful stories and is a unique object of identity full of elegance and refinement. The bucket is in excellent condition. For all our shipments we use special packaging materials (wooden crates, polystyrene, etc.) for maximum protection and safety of the items.
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SILVER Seller in Prato, Italy
