Antique English Edward VII Sterling Silver Fruit Bread Basket Sheffield 1907

This is an exceptionally fine antique English Edwardian sterling silver fruit basket with hallmarks for Sheffield 1907 and the maker mark of Atkin Brothers.

This magnificent basket has a shaped swing handle on flared shaped oblong basket and features a gadrooned rim and base which is further embellished with pierced decoration and is raised on a shaped oblong pedestal foot.

There is no mistaking its unique quality and design, which is sure to make it a treasured piece by any silver collector.
 

Condition:

In excellent condition with clear hallmarks and no dings, dents or signs of repair. Please see photos for confirmation.

Atkin Brothers business traces his origin to Thomas Law, a silversmith active in Sheffield from c. 1750 to 1775. He was one of the only two firms combining the trades of cutlers and general silversmiths.
The business was continued by his sons John and William, and later by Joseph Law (probably the son of John, as in an 1830 directory he is quoted as "Joseph Law, late John Law & Son").

In 1824 was entered the mark of Jos. Law, Jn Oxley & Henry Atkin (oddly the mark was "LL", possibly for Law & Law) and in 1829 Henry Atkin and John Oxley, trading as Atkin, Oxley & Co, succeeded to the original firm. They dissolved their partnership c. 1840.

Henry Atkin continued the trade as Henry Atkin & Co at 32 Howard Street, Sheffield.
He died in 1853, and his sons Harry Wright Atkin, Edward Thomas Atkin and Frank Shaw Atkin continued the trade under the style Atkin Brothers in their Truro Works, Matilda Street, Sheffield.
The firm opened offices in London, managed by Harry Wright Atkin, and in 1925 became a limited liability company as Atkin Brothers (Silversmiths) Ltd.
Atkin Brothers manufactured a wide range of electroplate, Britannia Metal, silver and plated cutlery supplied to Thornhill & Co - London, Barraclough & Sons - Leeds, Ollivant & Botsford - Manchester, James Crichton & Co - Edinburgh, Hall & co - Manchester, Fairfax & Roberts - Sydney and many other firms in the United Kingdom and in the Colonies

Angelica Kauffman, RA (1741 - 1807)

was a Swiss-born Austrian Neoclassical painter who had a successful career in London and Rome. Though born as "Kauffmann", Kauffman is the preferred spelling of her name in English; it is the form she herself used most in signing her correspondence, documents and paintings.

While Kauffman produced many types of art, she identified herself primarily as a history painter, an unusual designation for a woman artist in the 18th century. History painting, was considered the most elite and lucrative category in academic painting during this time period. Under the direction of Sir Joshua Reynolds, the Royal Academy made a strong effort to promote history painting to a native audience who were more interested in commissioning and buying portraits and landscapes.

Despite the popularity that Kauffman enjoyed in British society and her success as an artist, she was disappointed by the relative apathy that the British had towards history painting. Ultimately she left Britain for the continent, where history painting was better established, held in higher esteem and patronized.

The works of Angelica Kauffman have retained their reputation. By 1911, rooms decorated with her work were still to be seen in various quarters. At Hampton Court was a portrait of the duchess of Brunswick; in the National Portrait Gallery, a self-portrait. There were other pictures by her at Paris, at Dresden, in the Hermitage at St Petersburg, in the Alte Pinakothek atMunich, in Kadriorg Palace, Tallinn (Estonia).

Satinwood

is a hard and durable wood with a satinlike sheen, much used in cabinetmaking, especially in marquetry. It comes from two tropical trees of the family Rutaceae (rue family). East Indian or Ceylon satinwood is the yellowish or dark-brown heartwood of Chloroxylon swietenia.

The lustrous, fine-grained, usually figured wood is used for furniture, cabinetwork, veneers, and backs of brushes. West Indian satinwood, sometimes called yellow wood, is considered superior. It is the golden yellow, lustrous, even-grained wood found in the Florida Keys and the West Indies.

It has long been valued for furniture. It is also used for musical instruments, veneers, and other purposes. Satinwood is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Sapindales, family Rutaceae.