Henry Steiner's Jewelled Emu Egg Casket

Henry Steiner, Australian Colonial silver mounted emu egg…
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Henry Steiner, Australian Colonial silver mounted emu egg jewelled casket, height 32 cm, lavishly decorated with foliage, emus and kangaroos and fighting Aboriginal figures to the finial of the lid., Henry Steiner is one of Australia's most celebrated silversmiths., born in Germany. In 1858 he arrived in Australia and set up his silversmithing business at 106 Rundle Street, 1878-1884., Although unsigned, this work in our opinion is most definitely by Steiner. Please view the book '19th century Australian Silver and Gold' compiled by Robert Reason and produced by the Art Gallery of South Australia. Please see page 41 to view Steiner's display cabinet in their premises to see other examples of this fine piece. Provenance: John St. Alban collection to be sold on behalf of a beneficiary of his estate. Note: John St. Alban was a connoisseur of objet d'art who boasts one of the largest collections of Colonial silver in South Australia. He gifted many rare pieces of Australian silver to the SA Gallery collection. This is an exceptional example of Colonial silver with strong provenance.

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  • Finial - An architectural decoration, found on the upper parts of of an object. On furniture they are usually found on pediments, canopies and shelf supports. On smaller ceramic or silver items, such as spoons, they may decorate the top of the item itself, or the lid or cover where they provide a useful handle for removal.

    Finials have a variety of shapes and forms. They may be urn-shaped, baluster shaped round or spiral, but usually taper into an upper point. Many real life shapes may also be used as finials, such as pineapples, berries, pinecones, buds, lotus and acorns. Sometimes animals such as a lion are depicted, or fish and dolphins.

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