George IV Sterling Silver Swing-Handled Kettle by Hyam Hyams
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An impressive George IV sterling silver swing-handled kettle, by Hyam Hyams of London, circa 1826, with a band of acorns, oak and clover leaves and roses over a stippled ground above an overhanging acanthus border with shells, the ornate upright hanc 30.5 cm high, 2596 grams, (84.15oz). Hyam Hyams was active from 1813 to 1851, initially as a dealer in bullion, but mainly as a manufacturing silversmith and jeweller. In later years he traded as a goldsmith, watch and clock maker, money changer, and 'Bohemian glass importer'. At various times he had premises in Houndsditch, on Cornhill and old Bailey, all within a few minutes walk of each other. He was the Son of Solomon Hyams, who had also carried on a business as a silversmith and jeweller, having been admitted to the freedom of the city of London pursuant to resolutions of the court of Common Council in March 1835.
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- 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.
- Acanthus - A stylized leaf motif, one of the primary decorative elements of classical Greek and Roman architecture, derived from the genus of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Mediterranean area. It is a common element in classical Greek and Roman design, and is often seen in Corinthian and Composite order columns and used as a decorative element in English, European and Australian furniture, particularly on the curve of a leg, and as decoration for a corbel.
- 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.
- Oak - Native to Europe and England, oak has been used for joinery, furniture and building since the beginning of the medieval civilisation. It is a pale yellow in colour when freshly cut and darkens with age to a mid brown colour.
Oak as a furniture timber was superceded by walnut in the 17th century, and in the 18th century by mahogany,
Semi-fossilised bog oak is black in colour, and is found in peat bogs where the trees have fallen and been preserved from decay by the bog. It is used for jewellery and small carved trinkets.
Pollard oak is taken from an oak that has been regularly pollarded, that is the upper branches have been removed at the top of the trunk, result that new branches would appear, and over time the top would become ball-like. . When harvested and sawn, the timber displays a continuous surface of knotty circles. The timber was scarce and expensive and was used in more expensive pieces of furniture in the Regency and Victorian periods. - George Iv - George IV (1762 ? 1830) was king of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and king of Hanover from 1820, until his own death in 1830. From 1811 until his accession in 1820, he served as Prince Regent during his father's final mental illness.
In English furniture design, his reign from 1811 to 1830 is known as the Regency period.
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