Enamel Sterling Silver Snuff Box by Ward & Bartholomew
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American sterling silver and enamel snuff box, marked W&B (Ward & Bartholomew) of elliptical form, the hinged cover with engine turned oval medallion, surrounded by engraved radiating motif, accented with blue and white enamel rings, with engine turned decoration to sides and gilt interior, total weight 58gm, length 8 cm. Provenance: collection of the late Fredric Sinfield, Sydney NSW, 1938 - 2008
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- Sterling Silver - Sterling silver is a mixture of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% of another metal, usually copper. Fine silver is 99.9% pure silver, and is relatively soft and the addition of the very small amount of copper gives the metal enough strength and hardness to be worked into jewellery, decorative and household objects.
- Engine Turned - Engine turning is a decorative technique used on metal surfaces to create intricate curving or geometric pattern. The process involves cutting a series of lines into the surface of the metal using a rose engine or decoration lathe which rotates the metal as it cuts, allowing the operator to create a repeating pattern that covers the entire surface. The resulting surface has a shimmering, reflective quality that is often described as "engine turned." Where an engine turned item has been enamelled, the term used to describe the decoration is usually guilloche.
Engine turning was originally developed to decorate metal objects such as firearms, scientific instruments, and other metal objects that required precise and elegant design.
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