London silversmiths are completing a nine months task —the making of one of the biggest silver dinner sets yet known. It was ordered by the fabulously rich Maharajah of Kashmir, who wanted something magnificent and sumptuous.
Designs were submitted, and the Maharajah chose an ornate Georgian type which will cost at least £18,000.
The highly skilled silversmiths are working with the tools used by their grandfathers and great-grandfathers, using Implements and methods introduced by tho Egyptians nearly 8000 years ago.
Already 30,000 fine ounces of silver have been used. These are some of the pieces in the set:— 336 silver meat plates, 96 meat dishes, 58 salt cellars, 58 pepper pots, 58 mustard pots, 24 entree and vegetable dishes, 24 sauce boats, 80 sweet dishes, 112 soup plates.
Mr. James Millar, foreman of Garrards' workshop, showed a "Dally Express" reporter around. Every so often he would pick up scraps of paper, leather, or cloth from the floor and put them carefully into dustbins. ' "Why so tidy?" I asked. He smiled: "Our 'rubbish' Is worth £400 a year," he said. "Buyers burn It, crush the ashes, and smelt them. They make a profit on the tiny scraps of precious metal they find."
The Queen's "Vase" this year is a pair of silver flagons in Queen Anne style, by Messrs. R. and S. Garrard & Co.;and the Ascot Cup is an exquisitely designed and elaborately chased gold cup and cover in Italian style, with bas reliefs from Sir Walter Scott's "Talisman,"representing the meeting of Saladin and Sir Kenneth in the Desert; Sir Kenneth finding the spear broken, the standard gone, and his dog, Roswil wounded; and the detection of Conrade by the dog. All these scenes have been executed by Messrs. Garrard, and the result is an extremely beautiful work of art.
Source: The Jeweller and Metalworker - 1st July 1885
Sir, - We shall be much obliged if you will permit us, through your medium, to caution the public against the careless and in discriminate use of post-cards relating to the disposal of valuable property, of which the following is a specimen:- "----- requests Messrs. G. to send for her plate chests." It is obvious that information thus conveyed might lead to most serious and extensive robberies. We are, sir, your obedient servants,
R. & S. Garrard & Co.,
Crown Jewellers
25, Haymarket - July 26
Silver heron, or silver Little Egret on a green marble base, large silver model of a heron, realistically modelled by Jane Barnard and made by Garrard & Co Limited ( Crown jewellers 1843-2007) and hallmarked for London 1976. Garrard have employed a number of free-lance modelers in the past who have been commissioned to create models from which castings have been made. I do not know if Jane Barnard designed or modelled any other (silver) items. By the way an Egret in Dutch is called Zilverreiger
11.5” high, weight 32 troy oz (not including the base)