Made for the man about town around 100 years ago , its classic form and quality makes it the perfect gift for the man about town today

The oval shape has a removable cup – so the man about town can share?

Both the top and the bottom of the flask are decorated with an applied four clawed dragon

Dragons symbolise power, wisdom, and prosperity.  In this case the dragons are four clawed.  Five claws were reserved for only the Emperor and four claws were for important mandarins in the imperial court.  For some reason the pesky foreigners also rated four claws sometimes  as is the case in this hip flask

Great fun and very rare!

The bowl of the dish is softly hammered – a finish that can only be done by hand

The green handles are bakelite 

Touch the link to learn more about this state of the art material in 1931 when this dish was made

The green of the handles make this very much a designer item – almost certainly specially commissioned

The criss cross  handles is also featured in the design on the base

Someone thought long and  hard when designing this dish

Fine weight and condition

The top centre one is Chinese Export silver – a rare find and dates from the mid 19th century.  Every face has been repousse worked with a different scene in incredible detail

The bottom left is an English silver snuff box  also early – it dates from 1832

The one on the bottom right is finely worked with a cross hatch design and is the youngest – it dates from 1907

Do get in touch if you would like more detail on any of these pieces

This wine funnel is more substantial in form than the more traditional style

The scalloped bowl is finely done

This wine funnel once belonged to an important person – note the coat of arms

Perfect gift for the extra special red wine lover in your life

The thick border is finely worked with grape branches

The crispness of the crystal is exceptional

The design with the two handles makes it very easy to use

The style with the legs on each corner reminds one of the torii gates at the Shinto shrines

The sides and  lid are hand engraved with flying cranes in the clouds

In Japanese folklore, the crane (or Tsuru in Japanese) is a strong majestic bird that mates for life and is said to live for a thousand years. It symbolizes honour, good fortune, loyalty, and longevity.

This box may well have been used for cigarettes when it was originally made but now make a fine addition to a collection

Exceptional weight

By the well respected maker Hukin & Heath , this English sterling silver and crystal decanter shows once again their stylish designs

This classic shape could have been made yesterday but is well over 100 years old

The lockable decanter would have been made for that best brandy or other special liqueur that the owners would not want the butler to sample

Fits perfectly into a modern home but yet has so much history

In days of old the whisky could well have been looked after by the household butler

So.. Lockable decanters were very popular.

Perfect for the serious whisky collector – a different favourite malt in each decanter

Made by Hukin & Heath ( who have pieces in the Victoria and Albert Museum ) these are speical because they are still together after more than 100 years

On one side of the case chrysanthemums have been repousse worked and there is a shield cartouche for engraving – chrysanthemums bloom through the frost

On the reverse dragons cavorting in the clouds  have been worked.  Dragons symbolise strength

This is a fine card case with good crisp detail.

Most older card cases are for smaller calling cards but this one suits today’s cards

It can be used but also a fine addition to a collection

The simplicity of the square shape is perfect for a modern home

The shaped corners and the curved foot are the only decorations

This  heavy salver – weighing more than 1000 grams – is in excellent condition

Learn more about art deco