Antique English Sterling Silver Cornucopia Vinaigrette by Sampson Mordan & Co

• Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.
• Cornucopia - The cornucopia, literally the horn of plenty, is a symbol of abundance and wealth. It is traditionally is represented by a curved goat horn overflowing with grain and fruit.
  
  Modern cornucopias are often depicted as horn-shaped baskets filled with food, and this symbol is often associated with the harvest. This decorative device has a long and ancient history, with roots in Greek mythology.
  
  In one version, when Zeus was playing with the goat Amalthea he accidentally broke off one of her horns. To atone for this, Zeus promised Amalthea that the horn would always be full of whatever fruits she desired. This became the cornucopia of the Roman goddess Copia, the personification of plenty. Other goddesses, including Fortuna and Pax, also held the cornucopia.
  
  In furniture and decorative arts, cornucopia as a decorative element have been popular since the 16th century and can be found on items as diverse as light fittings and candelabra to clocks, sculpture and statuary and furniture.
  
  In ceramics, cornucopia shaped vases were popular in the 19th century, in singles and pairs.
• 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.

This item has been included into following indexes:

• Sampson, Mordan & Co. (England) - decorative items 86
• vinaigrettes - silver items 305