Crafted in mid-19th-century Baltimore, this extraordinary covered entree dish is the work of the renowned American silversmith Andrew Ellicott Warner (A.E. Warner, 1786–1870). A titan of the Baltimore silversmithing tradition, Warner operated at the absolute pinnacle of American silver craftsmanship during the antebellum period.

Embodying the finest traditions of American Victorian Rococo Revival, the dish features intense, high-relief Baltimore Repoussé. The skilled silversmith hammered the silver from behind to create dramatic volumetric projection, finishing the details from the front with precise chasing and heavy background stippling that creates deep, natural shadows.

Architecturally, the high-domed lid is crowned with a magnificent cast lion-rampant finial anchored on a chased rosette base.While, the oval dish rests on four cast claw-and-ball feet rising to a deeply chased skirt

Each side terminating with ring side-handles issue from lion-mask mounts along the rim.

The decorative scheme is a triumph of harvest and wildlife iconography. Differing from standard all-floral repoussé pieces of the period, the domed lid boasts rare landscape reserves featuring a wild horse on one side and two hunting hounds on the other, both set against dense tall grasses. Surrounding these narrative scenes is an abundant array of dimensional harvest fruits—including apples, cherries hanging on slender stems, and textured aggregate blackberries—intertwined with morning glories, double roses, and wild dogwood blossoms. There is also an insect (possibly a honeybee) on one leaf. A shield on the lid retains an elegant period script monogram.

What further elevates this particular piece to a tier of supreme historical importance for advanced collectors is its purity mark. Stamped clearly with Warner’s signature "11-2" mark, it represents the local Baltimore troy-weight standard of 11 ounces and 2 pennyweights of fine silver per 12-ounce troy pound. In simple mathematics, 222 pennyweights out of 240 equals exactly 92.5% fine silver—the precise chemical definition of Sterling Silver.

This early adoption of true sterling quality is remarkable for its era. It predates the broad commercial adoption and standardization of the "STERLING" stamp popularized by Northern firms like Tiffany & Co. in the mid-to-late 1850s.

Furthermore, while Warner’s chief Baltimore rival, Samuel Kirk, relied strictly on lower regional standards—such as 11/12 (91.7% fine) and 10.15/12 (89.6%)—and did not convert his production to true .925 sterling until 1886, Warner was already executing select commissions in 92.5% sterling silver decades earlier. Thus, as a massive mid-19th-century Baltimore repousse covered dish of true sterling purity, pre-dating the late-19th-century sterling boom, this dish is an exceptionally rare piece.

Dimensions:

6 x 11-1/2 x 8-1/8 inches (15.2 x 29.2 x 20.6 cm)

Weight:

1520 grams

(48.87 troy ounces)


Condition report: 

There is age-commensurate wear. There are no repairs or separations. An otherwise loose finial is fastened with a later non-silver washer. There is a pinprick indentation and some discoloration to the inside of the dish (please see the two pictures before the last). 





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