Antique"Kilmarnock Challenge Cup" silver 1893 Sheffield

This is a beautiful Victorian silver two handled sporting trophy of Irish Coursing History. It is chased and embossed with floral sprays, foliate and acanthus swags and berry and leaf banding, mounted by a greyhound, inscribed 'Kilmarnock Challenge Cup' upon a turned ebonised base. It bears the makers mark of the renowned silversmith James Dixon & Sons Ltd of Sheffield.

It has hallmarks for Sheffield 1893.

* Provenance: won by Tom O'Carroll in the late 1930s


This elegant piece features beautiful engraved decoration and an interesting inscription and is sure to make an outstanding contribution to your collection.



James Dixon & Sons Ltd of Sheffield -the business of manufacturing silversmiths,platersand Britannia metal workers was commenced in c. 1806 by James Dixon in conjunction with Thomas Smith in Silver Street, Sheffield.In 1824 they moved to Cornish Place, a large site, which enabled them to expand and develop the workshops, casting shops, offices and warehouses.In 1823 Thomas Smith withdrew and William Frederick Dixon, the eldest son of James, joined the firm. In 1830, the firm began making silver and plated goods at Cornish Place by acquiring the firm Nicholson,AshforthandCutts.

When James Willis Dixon, the second son of James, joined the firm the name was changed to James Dixon & Sons. In 1836, the firm began to make spoons and forks from nickel silver - an alloy of nickel, copper and zinc starting from 1848 to produce electroplate.In the1850s, several new buildings were constructed in Cornish Place to accommodate a stamp shop, showrooms, plating shops for the electro-plate processes and more warehouse space.


The firm exhibited at the Great Exhibition in 1851, being awarded several prizes in different classes for silver and Britannia metal.
Dixon's costing book of 1879 includes designs by Christopher Dresser, registered from 1880, and these were produced until at least 1885, according to the tradecatalogueissued in that year.


In the1920sthe firm began to use stainless steel to make both flatware and hollowware and the production of silver and silver plated goods declined. Stainless steel spoons and forks manufactured by James Dixon & Son carried the name "staybrite" and "Firth", as Firth Brown was the firm where "straybrite" steel was invented in the1910s.In 1920 the firm was converted into a limited liability company and in 1930 the firm of William Hutton & Sons Ltd of Sheffield was absorbed into James Dixon & Sons Ltd.In the1980sthe firm had a financial collapse and the production in Cornish Place closed in 1992




Measurements:


The cup and cover measures: H 50 cm ( 15") x W28 cm x D 18 cm




The ebonised base measures : H 12 cm x W 16 cm



Weight68 troy oz





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