Antique Mappin & Webb Silver-Plated Pedestal Cake Basket
A magnificent example of English decorative tableware, combining the distinguished heritage of Mappin & Webb with an extraordinary flower-like design.
The Details
* Maker: Mappin & Webb, England
* Date: Probably c.1900–1925
* Material: A1 quality silver plate
* Marks: Mappin & Webb, historic sun-face trademark, A1 and pattern W1118
* Diameter: 24 cm (9.45 in)
* Height: 18 cm (7.09 in), handle raised
* Weight: 620 g gross weight
* Condition: Very good antique condition. Bright silver finish, light surface scratches and a few small dark marks within the bowl. The swing handle and pivots are excellent, holding firmly upright or folded down.
A Flower Fashioned in Silver
Some pieces of antique tableware are simply too beautiful to be confined to a cabinet.
This splendid Mappin & Webb basket is one of them.
Its remarkable bowl opens outwards in a spectacular arrangement of deeply radiating flutes, culminating in a wonderfully undulating, flower-like rim. Every ridge catches the light, creating a dazzling play of reflections across the silver.
An elegant circular pedestal raises the bowl above the table, while the graceful arched swing handle, with its delicately shaped sides, completes the design.
At a substantial 620 g, this is an impressive piece of English craftsmanship, beautifully proportioned and full of decorative presence.
Mappin & Webb — A Distinguished English Heritage
The story of Mappin & Webb begins in Sheffield in 1775, when Jonathan Mappin established the silversmithing business from which this celebrated name would emerge.
Through successive generations, the Mappin family helped establish Sheffield’s international reputation for fine silverware.
By the late Victorian period, Mappin & Webb had become one of Britain’s leading luxury retailers, renowned for beautifully crafted silver, jewellery and elegant tableware. The firm would subsequently enjoy royal patronage and warrants.
This basket bears the historic Mappin sun-face trademark, together with its A1 silver-plate quality designation and pattern reference W1118.
Its flowing, naturalistic decoration reflects the taste for beautifully ornamented tableware around the turn of the twentieth century.
The Elegance of the English Table
In late Victorian and Edwardian Britain, entertaining was an art.
Afternoon tea had become an established social ritual, while elegant dinners and family celebrations provided opportunities to display fine china, polished silver and beautifully presented food.
Cake baskets were part of this world, offering delicate cakes, biscuits and sweetmeats to guests before taking pride of place on the table.
This wonderful example captures that tradition of gracious hospitality.
Beautifully at Home Today
And what a glorious new life this basket could enjoy.
Imagine it filled with autumnal fruit — ruby-red pomegranates, ripe figs, golden pears and dark grapes — creating a spectacular centrepiece for a contemporary dining table.
Alongside an extravagant cheeseboard, it could hold artisan breads, crackers and breadsticks, bringing a little theatre to entertaining.
For afternoon tea, present macarons, delicate cakes and petits fours. At Christmas, fill it with individually wrapped luxury chocolates and festive sweetmeats.
Alternatively, use it as a romantic potpourri bowl, with dried rose petals, lavender, cinnamon and fragrant botanicals complementing its flower-like form.
Equally beautiful displayed empty, it is a striking decorative object in its own right.
Condition & Presentation
The basket retains a bright, lustrous finish and beautifully defined fluting. The folding handle and pivots are in excellent working order.
There are light surface scratches and several small, slightly tactile dark marks within the central bowl, as shown in the photographs.
A substantial and beautifully designed piece of English tableware, ready to bring historic elegance to contemporary living.
Carefully packaged, with worldwide shipping available.
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