Sterling Silver Cheese Toaster Dish - Antique George IV

Description

This exceptional antique George IV sterling silver cheese toaster dish has a plain rectangular form with rounded corners.

The surface of this silver dish is plain and embellished with an applied gadroon decorated border to the upper rim, in addition to applied moulded ornamentation to the lower portion.

The toasted-cheese dish* retains the original hinged hallmarked cover ornamented with the bright cut engraved crest of a stork.

The impressive cover is surmounted by the original reed decorated handle ornamented with scrolling leaf designs.

The cover opens to reveal the double skinned internal well.

This exceptional dish is fitted with the original, bayonet fitting baluster shaped turned wood handle with a plain tapering cylindrical sterling silver socket, encircled with bands of applied moulded decoration.

The cylindrical socket features a hinged hallmarked secondary cover which allows access to the heating chamber, in addition to a ring loop attachment and chain which supports the dish's cover for ease of serving.

* This style of dish was crafted in the late eighteenth century to melt cheese onto toast using an inbuilt hot water 'jacket' which is accessible through the removable handle. The toasted bread would be placed inside the dish and the cheese layered on top, this allowed the dish to be placed over an open fire to heat the water further and using the reflective interior of the cover the cheese would start to bubble.

Please note - This item has been on display at the Charles Dickens Museum in London. It was serving as an element of the ‘Food Glorious Food: Dinner with Dickens’ exhibit, before it was returned to AC Silver.

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