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Sold for: £48
A trio of sterling silver dressing table items comprising one hand mirror, one hairbrush, and one clothes brush. The items are of mismatched composition, with the brushes sharing a common ornate revival style while the mirror is designed in a contrasting Art Deco manner. The hairbrush and clothes brush feature heavy high-relief repoussé decoration depicting grotesque masks amidst scrolling acanthus leaves, flowers, and foliate borders, each with a central unengraved oval cartouche. These brushes are stamped with a maker’s mark reading B . & S . L d . for Barker Brothers Silversmiths Ltd, alongside a sterling lion passant, Birmingham anchor, and a lowercase date letter y in a shield corresponding to 1923. The hand mirror features vertical engine-turned decoration with a central circular cartouche and is marked S . B & S L d for S. Blanckensee & Son Ltd, accompanied by a sterling lion passant and Birmingham anchor. The items are constructed from thin-gauge silver formed over wooden or composition cores, and both brushes retain their original natural bristles.
Condition report:
All three items exhibit significant surface tarnish and patina consistent with age (photo 1). The hand mirror shows several prominent indentations and dents to the engine-turned reverse (photo 2 and 3), and the glass face displays numerous fine surface scratches (photo 4). The brushes show wear and yellowing to the natural bristles (photo 6). There is minor rubbing and wear to the high points of the repoussé silver decoration on the brushes and small indentations to the edges (photo 7 and 10).
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