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Hello All,

Second post to the forum and so I hope I am posting to the correct forum. I have a piece that used to be silver plate at some point. Its a huge piece measuring about 20 inches tall by at least 12 inches wide. I'm told it was a soup terrine but I really haven't got a clue there. A little on the piece;

Starting at the top you have a seated figure playing some kind of instrument. and that is bolted onto the lid. The lid is fairly ornate and shows mostly copper now but it for sure looks like it was silver plate. When you take the lid off, there is a liner or some sort and I've removed that.

Starting at the main bowl, there is a rim of about 2 inches and then what looks to be a brass ring around the entire pot. Below that again in copper there is the chased design. On the inside of the bowl are all of the divots where it was made. Some are still sharp to the touch and almost resemble holes but not quite all the way through. As we go down to the base it thickens up again and has more detail and the handles.

Below that which looks to be a third piece is a coppery brass looking base with a hole in the bottom. The feet look like they are welded/applied to the base. I'll post pictures below and will be happy to add any if you feel you would like them.

I can't find a stamp anywhere so I guess its down to the questions I have now. So I'll try to list them in order.

1. So my first question is what is it? Can anyone confirm that it's a soup terrine of sorts?
2. Is there any way I could date this and or get an idea of what part of the world it may have come from and if its possible to find a manufacturer.
3. The brass band around it, in your opinions was that actually left brass and the rest plated with silver or do you think it was just used to strengthen construction of the item?
4. Is this worthy of or should I even consider restoration based off what you can see?
Admin edit, read the forum rules.
So there you have it. As always, I am very much appreciative of any advice I get and thanks for taking the time to read this long post and look at the picture.

Cheers,

Scott.

Hi,

Pan playing his flute (syrinx), Pan half human and half beast; usually having a goat's tail, flanks and hooves. While the upper part of his body is that of a human, he also has the horns of a goat. Pan the companion of Dionysus/Bacchus, the god of wine, and they spent their time drinking, dancing, and chasing nymphs. Bacchanalia heavy drinking & ecstatic dancing, Cherubs picking grapes making wine. I believe it to be a silver plated covered punch bowl, made late 19th century. There is an opening(slot) in the lid for the punch ladle. Most of the silver layer has been removed by (over) polishing/cleaning. Re-silver plating is expensive and I believe, will not enhance the value.

Oel

Excellent deduction Oel. I agree

Hi,

It might be an ice bucket with liner.

Martin

Hi all,

First off, thanks for the info. I do appreciate it. I'm taking a leap of faith though and I've decided to have it cleaned and re-plated. It should be about 30 days and I'll be sure to post some images as a follow up. Thanks everyone!

Great, we look forward to seeing the punch bowl in its new "coat", thanks .

Best,

Oel

Hi All,

Well I really don't believe it but its ready to pick up already. I'll post some pics in a couple of hours. I've seen one and it looks amazing!

Well here it is with its new "Coat". Hope you like it.

Hi Scott,

It looks magnificent. Judging from the images, it looks like they made a fine job of it.

Now you just need to find a suitable large ladle.

No marks at all?

Trev.

Hiya Trev,

No marks that I can find. The silversmith that did the restoration is a third generation Russian guy and when I took it to him, the first thing he said was it's German and 1850 - 1880's. He also confirmed that the liner is Zinc. I'm just amazed by it though. It really is gorgeous. The only thing that I don't like about it now is the inside of the copper plate in the center with all of the detail looks too new. Needs to be dulled up a bit. If you have any suggestions, I'd appreciate it.

Cheers & have a good weekend.

Scott.

Hi Scott,

An American tourist asked one of the Beefeaters at the Tower of London how they got their lawns looking so good.
He replied, "All you need is a decent seed bed and some quality grass seed. Then cut it and roll it for 600 years".

Patience, Scott, patience, only time will give it a great patina!

You too have a great weekend.

Trev.

True. That's what my old Bombardier told me about my boots when I did my basic training in Woolwich. Cheers mate.