ANTIQUE 1881 SAMPSON MORDAN SILVER CIGARETTE CARD CASE KATE GREENAWAY STYLE
A charming antique VICTORIAN SILVER CIGARETTE / CARD CASE, hallmarked:
LONDON 1881
and bearing the maker's mark associated with the celebrated London silversmith:
SAMPSON MORDAN & CO.
The case is particularly attractive for its engraved figural decoration in the KATE GREENAWAY STYLE, together with an engraved:
MONOGRAM
making this a wonderful example of late Victorian silverwork with strong crossover appeal to collectors of English silver, illustration and period decorative arts.
Details
Maker: Sampson Mordan & Co., subject to hallmark confirmation
Assay Office: London
Date: 1881
Period: Victorian
Material: Sterling / British Standard Silver, according to hallmarks
Type: Cigarette Case / Visiting Card Case / Calling Card Case
Decoration: Kate Greenaway-Style Figural Engraving
Personalisation: Engraved Monogram
Country: England
Please refer to the photographs for the exact hallmarks, dimensions, weight, monogram and condition.
Sampson Mordan & Co.
The case bears a maker's mark associated with:
SAMPSON MORDAN & CO.
one of the best-known names in Victorian and Edwardian English silver and novelty goods.
The firm became particularly famous for finely made:
SILVER ACCESSORIES
WRITING EQUIPMENT
PENCILS
CASES
NOVELTY OBJECTS
DESK ACCESSORIES
and today surviving examples are widely collected for their quality and inventive design.
A clearly hallmarked Sampson Mordan piece from 1881 has excellent appeal to collectors of Victorian silver.
London 1881 Hallmarks
The British hallmarks indicate:
LONDON, 1881
placing the piece firmly within the late Victorian period.
British silver hallmarks are especially important because they can identify:
THE SILVER STANDARD
ASSAY OFFICE
DATE LETTER
MAKER
Please inspect the close-up photographs carefully, as the marks themselves provide the definitive evidence for attribution and dating.
Kate Greenaway-Style Decoration
The case features delightful engraved figures in the manner associated with:
KATE GREENAWAY (1846–1901)
one of the most recognisable illustrators of the Victorian era.
Greenaway became famous for her romanticised images of children dressed in picturesque late 18th- and early 19th-century-inspired clothing.
Her illustrations frequently featured:
CHILDREN
FLOWERS
BONNETS
RIBBONS
COUNTRY SETTINGS
PERIOD COSTUME
and became enormously influential in Victorian decorative design.
Objects decorated with similar figures are often described by collectors as:
KATE GREENAWAY STYLE
or:
KATE GREENAWAY MANNER
Victorian Aesthetic Appeal
The late Victorian period saw a strong relationship between illustration, fashion and the decorative arts.
Popular imagery migrated from books and prints onto:
SILVERWARE
CERAMICS
JEWELLERY
BOXES
CASES
DECORATIVE OBJECTS
The charming engraved figures on this case place it beautifully within that tradition.
Unless documentary evidence confirms a direct Kate Greenaway commission or licensed design, the decoration is best described as Kate Greenaway-style rather than definitively designed by Greenaway herself.
Cigarette or Card Case
The object may have been intended as either a:
CIGARETTE CASE
or:
VISITING / CALLING CARD CASE
depending upon its interior arrangement and dimensions.
Victorian card cases were important personal accessories, used for carrying calling cards during the elaborate social rituals of the period.
Later silver cases of similar form were also used for cigarettes.
Please refer to the interior photographs and measurements to determine the most likely original function.
Engraved Monogram
The case also bears a personalised:
MONOGRAM
adding an attractive layer of period character.
Personalised silver was commonly engraved with:
INITIALS
CRESTS
MONOGRAMS
DEDICATIONS
and such details often give antique objects a stronger sense of individual history.
No identity is assigned to the original owner without supporting provenance.
Collector Appeal
This case should appeal to collectors of:
Sampson Mordan
Victorian Silver
1881 London Silver
Kate Greenaway
Victorian Illustration
Antique Cigarette Cases
Calling Card Cases
English Hallmarked Silver
Monogrammed Silver
Victorian Decorative Arts
Highlights
SAMPSON MORDAN & CO.
LONDON 1881
VICTORIAN SILVER
KATE GREENAWAY-STYLE DECORATION
Charming engraved figures
Engraved monogram
Cigarette / card case form
English hallmarked silver
Late 19th-century collectable
Strong illustration and decorative-art appeal
A delightful antique 1881 Sampson Mordan silver case, combining quality Victorian silversmithing with charming Kate Greenaway-style engraved decoration and a personalised monogram.
Condition & Attribution
The case is in honest antique condition with wear consistent with age and previous use.
Please expect some degree of:
SURFACE MARKS • FINE SCRATCHES • RUBBING • TARNISH • SMALL DENTS • GENERAL AGE-RELATED WEAR
where visible.
Please inspect the photographs carefully for:
HINGE CONDITION
CLOSURE
EDGE WEAR
DENTS
OLD REPAIRS
ENGRAVING WEAR
MONOGRAM
HALLMARK CLARITY
The piece is described as silver on the basis of the visible British hallmarks.
The attribution to Sampson Mordan & Co., London 1881 should be taken from the hallmark evidence shown.
The figural decoration is described as Kate Greenaway-style / in the manner of Kate Greenaway unless documentary evidence establishes a direct design attribution.
The exact original function as cigarette case or card case is not guaranteed and should be judged from the proportions and interior fittings.
Please refer to the photographs for the actual weight, dimensions, hallmarks, monogram, engraving and overall condition.
🖼️ Item Condition:
This item is in honest antique condition. I’ve included detailed photographs to show the condition, size, and weight, so please review them carefully before placing your bid.
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