Silver Glossary

[Doos]

Hi,

The rococo description covers it mostly, but maybe the most distinguishing between baroque (Louis XIV) and late baroque (aka rococo, aka Louis XV) is the asymmetry of the ornaments.

[dmay]

Caudle Cup: A two handled drinking mug used in the 17th and 18th centuries, often with a lid. Used to serve caudle, a warm drink of gruel mixed with ale or wine, to which spices or honey is added.

Claret Jug: A handled pitcher or jug used for serving claret. Claret is the British term for red wine from the Bordeaux region of France. Secondary definition of Claret Jug: The name of the silver trophy given to the winner of the U.S. Open Championship in golf.

[dognose]

Hi,
I've been trying to differentiate between Caudle Cups, Posset Pots and Porringers. I think the term Porringer would cover both the others, although as I understand it, it has a different meaning in America, but the difference between Caudle Cups and Posset Pots I cannot split, what do others think?
Regards Trev.

[dognose]

Hi Tom,

Pap boat: Small boat shaped dishes with no handles or feet and with a pronounced lip, used for feeding children and invalids with pap a mixture of bread and milk, popular 1710-1830. They were often converted into sauce boats.

Skewer: Tapering skewers with a flattened diamond cross section usually date from 1720-1860, often ending with a ring terminal they came in various sizes, the most popular being 10-12 inches with smaller ones made for use with poultry. They are often used nowadays as letter openers.

Regards Trev.

[dognose]

Hi Tom,

Caryatid: Female figure used as a support column, popular in the early 1800's.

Chocolate Pot: Very similar to a coffee pot but usually with the handle set at right angles to the spout and fitted with a stirring wand to stop the chocolate seperating.

Cinquefoil: Design based on a four leaf petal.

Cusp: The point at which two curves meet, as in the outline on British Duty Marks.

Regards Trev.

[Robin Lous]

Kilt pin: A decorative pin attached to the lower right corner of a kilt apron.
Many shapes, very common are thistle, sword and dagger shaped pins.
Often set with stones: Amethyst, citrine, bloodstone, jet, etc.

[dognose]

Hi Tom,

Wine Funnel: Funnel with a detachable strainer for transfering wine into other bottles or decanters, the outlet is turned to allow the wine to run down the side of the decanter so as to check for any deterioration.

Wine Wagon: Twin coasters mounted on wheels, used for passing wine or port around the dining table.

Trencher Salt: Solid sided salt celler with an oval or circular well, popular until about 1725.

Swaged: Hollow formations produced in flat metal by hammering.

Snuff Spoon: Small elongated spoon for use with snuff boxes, few have survived.

Shagreen: Sharkskin covering for boxes, caskets etc. usually dyed green with vegetable dye, it has a rough feel to the touch.

Lozenge: Diamond shaped. Lozenge marks were used in France for silversmiths makers marks and in England to denote that the silversmith was a widow.

Paten: Plate used for Holy Communion.

Sexfoil: Design of a six leafed petal.

Rat Tail: Long tapering design used on the back of the bowl as an elongated drop on early eighteenth century English spoons, remaining popular for a much longer period on Irish spoons.

Regards Trev.

[dognose]

Hi Tom,
This is one I had not come across before until recently,

Little Master: Georgian term for a silversmith who worked on his own or as a small concern, he did not retail his output but forfilled orders from larger firms. He may have stamped the work with his own mark or if requested with the mark of the firm he was suplying. He would be responsible for having the work assayed and on delivery was paid in three seperate amounts, for the plate, for the fashion and for the duty.

Regards Trev.

[dognose]

Hi Tom,

Enamelling Techniques:

Cloisonne- Enamelling process where flattened metal wires are applied on their side to the base metal surface to make specific designs and creating small compartments in which various coloured enamels are then applied, then fired and finally ground to a smooth finish.

Champleve-Enamelling process where depressions are sunk into the base metal prior to the enamel being applied. This of course requires a thick metal base and is the opposite of Cloisonne.

Plique-a-jour-Enamelling process using a perforated metal base, so that the translucent enamel is exposed on both sides, producing a stained glass window effect. Very popular during the Art-Nouveau period.

Basse Taille-Enamelling process similar to Champleve, the technique differs by cutting the base metal to different depths causing the transparent enamel to reflect varying shades.

Taille D'epargne-Enamelling process where small shallow cuts are made into the base metal leaving the majority of the surface undisturbed, often used when applying initials to items.

Grisaille- Painted enamel technique, using white enamel over a dark enamel ground, creating a strong contrasting effect, the surface often hatched to reveal the dark enamel underneath.

Guilloche-Enamelling process often used on an engine-turned base, the transparent enamel having great effect on reflected light on the engraved surface.

Trev.

[dognose]

Hi Tom,

Planishing: The removal of indents caused by hammer blows that have happened in the making of an item. A planishing hammer has a slightly convex polished head.

Wriggle-work: A zig-zag line engraved into the surface of an item using a wheel with a finely crimped edge.

Pricked-work: A series of dots punched into the surface of an object to create initials or dates, popular in the 16th. and 17th. Centuries.

Biggin: A coffee percolator invented by George Biggin in the late 18th. Century, they do not have a spout but a short lip and are often accompanied by a spirit burner.

Lion Passant: Walking lion looking forward, English standard mark 925-1000 post 1820.

Lion Passant and Guardant: Walking lion looking to the left, English standard 925-1000 pre 1820.

Lion Rampant: Lion standing on its hind legs, Scottish standard 925-1000.

Lion Sejant: Seated lion as found as a terminal on some 17th. Century spoons.

Caster: Container with perforated domed top for sprinkling sugar or spices, they come in a variety of styles but are usualy cylindrical or octagonal on a spreading rim foot.

Muffineer: Small caster for sprinkling sugar on muffins.

Dredger: Term that can be applied to any container with a pierced top i.e. casters, flour dredgers, ponce pots or muffineers.

Snuff Mulls: Containers for storing snuff, ranging from pocket size to communal table models, these are very much a Scottish item. Made of horn, bone or wood they are very often silver mounted and often have suspension chains to hang from a belt.

Candle Snuffers: Scissor-like device for triming candle wicks with a box container on one blade to catch the trimmings. Before the introduction of paraffin wax candles the wick did not burn down and so had to be periodally trimmed.

Candle Douter: Similar to the candle snuffer but with a flat blade to extinguish the flame leaving the wick intact.

Trev.

[frenchie_myriam]

Hello Tom,

Suggestions for :

Ingot : A solid block of more or less pure metal, often but not necessarily bricklike in shape and trapezoidal in cross-section

Cruet stand :
A small bottle or container used to hold a condiment, such as salt, pepper, oil, or vinegar, for use at a dining table

Baroque :
A period in western architecture from ca. 1600 to the middle of the eighteenth century, known for its abundance of decoration

Regards
Myriam

[dognose]

Hi Tom,

Diet: The quanity of silver removed from an item for the purpose of assay, this is retained by the Goldsmiths'Company for use in the "Trial of the Diet".

Trial of the Diet: An assay of the scrapings (diet). It is performed at least once a year, to ensure the assayer is doing his duties to the required standard, it is overseen by members of the Court of Assistants of the Goldsmiths' Company.

Court of Assistants: Board containing the senior members of the Goldsmiths' Company.

Trial of the Pyx: A full examination into the coins produced by the Royal Mint as required by law, this has been carried out by members of the Goldsmiths' Company since 1560.

Pyx: Early term for a box, originally pyxes were used for containing communion wafers, then generally as a term for small boxes.


Trev.

[dognose]

Hi Tom,

Huguenot: Protestant refugees forced out of Catholic France, they had the protection of the Edict of Nantes passed in 1598, but this was revoked by Louis XIV in 1685. They fled to Britain, Russia, Holland and other countries.
With them they brought wonderful skills, especially those of the silversmith, much to the annoyance of the English smiths, who did everything in their power to prevent them setting up business in their own right, but were more than happy to employ what they refered to as "Strangers", but fortunately they were unsuccessful and England acquired some of the greatest silversmiths ever known, such as David Tanqueray, Peter Harache, Simon Pantin, Pierre Platel, David Willaume and Paul De Lamerie and America acquired Apollos Rivoire and thus his famous son Paul Revere.

Mullet: Five pointed star sometimes incorporated into makers marks and heraldic devices.

Mazarine: Large shallow dish with a pierced straining plate for cooking fish.

Trev.

[JLDoggett]

Baleen, the horny, tooth-like plates growing from the upper jaws of certain whales, allowing them to strain food from ocean water. Usually dark in colour

Bezel, A solid or pierced metal band soldered on edge to a backing and bent inward to secure a stone cut en cabochon.

Caster, an ornamental container, with pierced lid or cover used to dispense ground spice, salt or sugar.

Knurling, the use of a knurling iron to raise an area from the interior of a piece of holloware, also the raise band of ornament encircling a piece of hollowware or the process for making these ornamental bands with a knurling wheel.

Married Metals, the soldering or fusing of two or more different metals for decorative purposes.

Planishing, to hammer with a shallow domed hammer to remove the deeper marks caused when raising a piece of hollowware. Also, a method to work harden a flat object, such as a tray, to add rigidity.

[JLDoggett]

Epergne: an ornate centerpiece consisting of a frame supporting dishes, vases, and/or candleholders in tiers around a central focal point (either a larger container or ornamental motif).

Ferrule: The metal collar that joins a handle to a shaft, often found between a cane and its handle, also on parasol handles, pipes, carving knives, ect. Often used to describe applied metal collars with a hinge that joins a ceramic, ivory, bone or hard stone container and its lid.

Festoon: ornament in the form of a chain or ribbon appearing to be attached at two or more points and with a slight sag between those points.

Flagon: a large metal or ceramic beverage-serving container, with a handle, a spout and (usually) a lid.

Japanesque: in the Japanese style. Often used to refer to the style period of the mid-to-late 19th century.

Marrow Spoon: a handle with a long, narrow scoop shaped bowl used to eat the marrow from the center of roasted bones (usually beef).

Nutmeg Grater: a small metal fine-toothed grater with a covered box on one end. A nutmeg is stored in the box and grated as needed.

Patch Box: a small box in metal, ivory, bone, hard stone or ceramic, used to hold small cloth patches originally used to cover facial blemishes.

Pique: the process of inserting metal into ivory or tortoise shell to form a pattern.

Salt Cellar: in two forms, of metal, glass or ceramic container for serving salt. Master salts: a container for salt that is passed around the table with each diner taking a spoon full to use during the meal. Individual salts are smaller versions used at each place to hold loose salt for use by the diner.

Snuff Box: a small box in metal, ivory, bone, hard stone or ceramic, used to hold snuff for dipping.

Stirrup Cup: a small cup used to serve wine or another beverage to a person on horseback. Most often used to serve port to the riders before a hunt.

Sugar Box: A covered and usually lockable container for storing lump sugar.

Tankard: a single handled drink (beer or ale) container with a lid.

Thimble: A metal, ivory or bone covering for a fingertip, usually covered by shallow dimples, used by sewers to push their needle through fabric.

Wine Coaster: a shallow, flat-bottomed container, with upright sides, used to prevent wine bottles being placed directly on a table, possibly marring the finish.

[JLDoggett]

One other item. Your defination of bleeding bowl should include the following:

Bleeding bowl: a piece of medical equipment use to measure the amount of blood lanced from a patient mistakenly undertaken to relieve fevers and “cure” other ailments.

They are rare but I have handled several in silver (will try to get you a picture of one), which have a wide flange lip with an inward-curved cutout area for holding against the patient's (victim’s) arm or leg. I have seen them able to hold up to a pint, with interior markings in ounces.

[JLDoggett]

Another:

Florentine finish: an engraved finish applied with an engravers line graver that cuts two to twelve lines with each pass. The piece is engraved in one direction of parallel passes, the item is turned thirty-three to forty-five degrees and cross-engraved.

A brush, would give a satin sinish at best, not the deep lines of proper florentining.

[dognose]

Hi Tom,

Demitasse Spoon: Small spoon to fit a demitasse (half size or espresso) cup.

Provenance: Provable history of an item, a piece of silver perhaps mentioned in a will or inventry, or an auction record or receipt.

Sprues: Projections left on an article after it has been cast, they are left on the item so that the assayer can use them rather than damage the item. Also known as Getts or Gates.

Toys: Not a childs' plaything but an early term for small items of silver such as buttons and buckles.

Fineness: The proportion of a precious metal in an alloy. Fine gold or fine silver means 100% or as near as possible pure.

Candle Douter: Similar to the candle snuffer but with a flat blade to extinguish the flame leaving the wick intact.

Trev.

[admin]

Hi Trev & JLD
Thanks for the submissions, they all became a part of the Silver Glossary as of today.

Members,
The glossary is shaping up nicely thanks to all of your contributions, please keep 'em coming.

Thanks, Tom

[dognose]

Hi Tom,

Gallery: Perforated setting surrounding the borders of trays, coasters etc.

Lemel: The scrapings and filings of silver that accummulate on the workbench of a silversmith.

Shakudo: An alloy of gold and copper.

Shibuichi: An alloy of silver and copper.

Treblet: A tapering steel on which rings are manufactured.

Diaperwork: Pattern made up of squares or lozenges.

Knop: Rounded knob used as a handle or an ornament sometimes taking the shape of pineapples, pine cones etc.

Ovolo: Convex molding of half rounds and ovals.

Swag: Decoration composed of folds of draped cloth.

Strapwork: Flat ribbons of silver applied as decoration.

Trev.