Antique Sheffield Silverplated Tea Urn. The silver is plated over brass. Four feet support the pedestal at center that leads up to the wide body with two handles, a spigot with a bone accessory, and a knobbed top, all covered with heavily detailed vine and leaf decorations. Sometimes also referred to as samovars, these highly ornate pieces are highly sought by collectors. 

Size: 18 x 13 1/2 x 12 1/2 in. 

Silver plate (also written as “silverplate”) has been used since the 18th Century to provide cheaper versions of household items that would otherwise be made of solid silver, including cutlery, vessels of various kinds, and candlesticks. In the United Kingdom the assay offices, silver dealers, and collectors use the term “silver plate” for items made from solid silver, derived long before silver plating was developed from the Spanish word for silver “plata.” The earliest form of silver plating was Sheffield Plate, where thin sheets of silver are fused to a layer or core of base metal, but in the 19th Century new methods of production (including electroplating) were introduced. For modern applications in electronics, silver is sometimes used for plating copper, as its electrical resistance is lower. Care should be used for silver plated pieces exposed to high humidity environments, because the silver layer is porous and may contain cracks, allowing the underlying copper (or other metals) to undergo rapid galvanic corrosion, flaking off the plating and exposing the copper itself. Silver plated copper maintained in a moisture-free environment will not undergo this type of corrosion, theoretically lasting for many centuries.

All items are sold AS IS. Lot and condition details are for descriptive purposes only. Sarasota Estate Auction is not responsible for errors and/or omissions of condition. The absence of a condition report does not imply that the lot is perfect or free from wear, flaws, or characteristics of age. Please bid according to your own expertise, or request any additional information and/or photographs you deem necessary.