George III Silver Coin Toddy Ladle with Baleen Handle
You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.
Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item
When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.
- Baleen - Baleen is the filter feeder system in a baleen whale, and these whales have several hundred plates of baleen with a hairy fringe on their upper jaw.
Baleen refers to the solid plate, and it is historically important as it was sought by whalers as a by-product of the whaling industry, who called it whalebone, though it is not made of bone at all, and used it for scrimshaw.
The earliest artefacts were made of baleen produced from Arctic whaling in the 17th century.
In the 19th century baleen was an important raw material, comparable to present-day plastics. Its thermoplastic nature and strength meant it could be used to make a wide variety of functional and decorative objects.
Sailors used baleen to make sewing boxes and other small containers and another common use was brush bristles; it was even used as runners on toboggans.
Baleen basketry was developed into a craft, with examples of simple baskets to complex woven ones, which could take months to complete.
Other shore-based uses included in corsets, buggy whips, umbrella ribs, canes, skirt hoops and especially as a cheaper substitute for ivory in carving. - Hallmarks - A mark stamped on articles of precious metals in Britain, since the 14th century, certifying their purity. It derives its name from the Guild Hall of the Goldsmiths' Company, who recieved its Charter in 1327 giving it the power to assay (test the purity) and mark articles of gold and silver.
The hallmark will consist of several marks, including the:
- silver standard mark, indicating the purity of the metal. Sterling silver is .925 pure silver.
- the city mark indicating the city in which it was assayed eg London, Birmingham, York etc.
- the date mark, usually a letter of the alphabet in a particular font and case,
- a duty mark, indicating whether duty had been paid to the crown, and only in use from 1784 to 1890
The piece may include an additional mark, the maker's mark, although not forming part of the hallmark, will be located in the vicinity of the hallmarks.
Sometimes silver plated items will bear faux hallmarks, often confusing those not familiar with silver markings. - George Iii - George III (1738 - 1820) was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1760 to 1820.
- George Ii - George II (1683 - 1760) was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1727 until his death in 1760.
- Wrythen - A spirally twisted ornamentation most commonly found on antique glass, silver, ceramics and furniture.
This item has been included into following indexes:
Visually similar items
A Scottish Georgian sterling silver and baleen toddy ladle, early 19th century, with thistle mark and rubbed maker's marks, of plain form with a shallow bowl and part silver handle holding a writhen baleen handle capped with silver; hallmarked to the bowl.
A silver gilt straining ladle with a mahogany handle, 18th century, with rubbed Crown over shield mark, possibly Belgian. the pierced ellipse shaped ladle with borders and star forms, with a slender timber handle. Length 31.5 cm
A Georgian sterling silver punch ladle with oval coin in bowl. Date 1750. Twisted horn handle and silver ferrule cap.
A Georgian sterling silver toddy ladle with a baleen handle, circa 1800, no marks apparent, the bowl of typical cauldron with a flattened forked mount to a wrythen baleen handle terminating in a sterling silver cap; initialled Hjg, length 38 cm