Victorian Chiseled and Engraved Sterling Silver Basket with Handle, 1870s

Beautiful and exceptional sterling silver basket; it has a hollowed round shape; along the entire edge is applied a floral decoration executed with a solid casting; the swivel handle is also made with the same solid workmanship; both manufacturers have been finely then chiseled finished; the sturdy round base is linear and smooth. The most fascinating part of the basket is its interior: six embossed ovals chiseled with floral motifs have been created there, divided between them by deep and minute leaf incisions. The craftsmanship of the chisels is extraordinary and spectacular, only the expert hand of a great master chiseler could make chisels so admirably precise and real that the little flowers come out overbearingly and naturally from the silver plate; the talented artist executed these chisels with scrupulous detail and painstaking care making six small works of art. On the basket are the classic English silver punches that guarantee the silver title of the object, allowing us to trace its date of production to the city where it took place and to the silversmith who executed the basket. A small curiosity: the punches as well as on the object (see photo) are also on the handle (see photo), this is because the English legislature on silver products stipulated that all movable parts on the artifact had to be punched as well. The current lion punch guarantees the title of the sterling silver (925°°°), the crown punch indicates manufacture in the town of Sheffield, and the letter "C" indicates the year of manufacture 1870, in addition, there is the punch of the head of Queen Victoria, she who reigned at that time; at the beginning of the series of punches is the silversmith's punch, in this case "C.F" initials corresponding to Charles Favell. Charles Favell (c. 1834-1902) and Rupert Favell (1843-1895) were sons of William Favell (c. 1797-1871), a well-known Sheffield surgeon. Around 1870, the brothers became partners in the silversmith Creswick & Co.; this firm, established in Sheffield in 1810, initially produced knives, but other silver tableware in later years; Creswick was awarded a medal at the Great Exhibition (1851). One of the firm's owners James Creswick died on August 14, 1854, the other Nathaniel Creswick died on November 22, 1855; after 1857, the directors gradually sold off most of the stock, plant, and tools, but in 1858 a silver mark was registered by Creswick & Co. The new partners were Nathaniel Irving, Charles Favell, and Frederick Potter (London). By 1862, the firm was run by Favell alone; in fact, Creswick & Co. continued to operate under the leadership of Charles Favell and his brother Rupert. In 1863 they registered a silver mark from Sycamore Street. The firm's next address was Arundel Street, where it had 28 men, five women, and five boys in 1871 and 24 men and six women in 1881. It is to this period (1870) that the punch of our basket belongs. The Favells dissolved their company in 1879, leaving Charles to continue until 1886, in fact after 1886 Charles and Rupert established their own companies (Charles Favell & Co and R. Favell & Co) and had the punch "CF & Co" as shown in the table in the photo. The basket is in excellent condition. Measures diameter cm.28, height (with handle) cm.21, weight gr.650.