Silver Plated Bell Bros EPNS Pedestal Sugar Caster with Pierced Cover
Tall silver-plated sugar caster with a pedestal base.
Fitted with a removable domed and pierced cover.
Decorated with curved apertures and circular perforations.
Marked Bell Bros and EPNS beneath the foot.
Approximate dimensions
Height to top of finial: 200 mm (7⅞")
Condition
The caster stands on a lean, the extent of which varies according to its angle of placement. Areas of tarnish and discolouration are present on the silver-plated surface and may be polished if preferred.
Description
A tall silver-plated metal sugar caster composed of a hollow pedestal body and a removable pierced cover. The exterior has a smooth reflective finish and is formed through a sequence of rounded, stepped and flared sections.
The lower body is broad and bowl-shaped, with a rounded underside and an outward-projecting upper rim. Beneath the bowl, the form narrows through concentric moulded steps into a short waisted stem. The stem expands into a broad circular foot with a shallow domed profile, stepped rings and a projecting outer border.
A tall hollow neck rises from the centre of the bowl. Its sides are slightly concave, narrowing towards the middle before widening at the lower junction. The upper edge terminates in a projecting collar formed from rounded horizontal bands.
The removable cover is deep and domed, with a stepped lower rim and a small turned finial. It is pierced with repeated curved teardrop- or comma-shaped apertures, isolated circular holes and clustered groups of small perforations.
The underside of the foot is recessed and formed with concentric circular steps. It is stamped BELL BROS above separate punches containing the letters E P N S.
Sugar casters of this form were used for dispensing finely granulated or powdered sugar at the dining table. Pierced silver-plated examples were particularly associated with late Victorian and early twentieth-century tableware. The piece may also be used as a decorative table ornament.
Object Type: Sugar Caster
Age: 1900–1940
Era / Period: Early 20th Century
Material: Silver-Plated Metal
Finish: Polished
Production Technique: Pressed and Joined Metal
Decoration Technique: Pierced
Sugar Caster Silver Plated Bell Bros Pierced Domed Cover EPNS