Elegant vintage silverplate Silent Butler with original crumb brush manufactured by The Sheffield Silver Company of Brooklyn, New York, with a very detailed engraved rearing thoroughbred stallion horse motif on the lid. (c. 1950-1954) A silent butler is a covered receptacle with a handle and hinged cover, used for collecting ashes and crumbs from the dinning table.
This lovely vintage Sheffield silver plate silent butler is in excellent condition. It has a highly polished mirror silverplate finish, decorative beading along both the body and the lid. The inside of this silent butler is also finished in a bright polished silverplate. It is clearly engraved on the inside of the lid with "PIQUA COUNTRY CLUB 4-BALL TOURNAMENT 1954 RUNNER-UP ZIT DECKER".
This Sheffield silver plate silent butler has an elegant turned hardwood mahogany handle, which is in excellent, unworn and undamaged condition. The original finish is still present with no flaking or discoloration. The silverplate piano hinge is tight, original and works very smoothly.
The silverplate thumb knob on the top in done in a paw and elongated shell motif and was used to facilitate opening and closing the silent butler, thus, keeping ashes or crumbs from sailing through the air - or worse yet, onto one's guests!
No silverplate wear or loss is noted, though a tiny spot of discoloration is noted on the lid at the very front tip. Four molded feet are attached to the base. No dings, dents or dimples noted, no scratches or gouges to the silverplate finish - inside or out. A bit of slight surface discoloration is noted on the inside tray along the bottom edge. It looks as if it were rarely, if ever, used.
The original Lucite crumb brush is in very good condition, though three of the holes that contain the brush hairs are slightly discolored a pale orange color. The brush hairs themselves are in very good condition with only sight signs of use. A unique storage slot in the base of this silent butler holds the brush.
The silverplate silent butler measures 10.5" long, 6" diameter pans, stands 2.75" high and weighs 1 pound 2 ounces. Touchmark on the base reads "THE SHEFFIELD SILVER CO., MADE IN THE U.S.A. the letters E P C within individual boxes (electroplated silver over copper), the pattern number "301" and "PAT. PEND". This touchmark was used by the Sheffield Silver Company from 1950 onwards. With the engraving date of 1954, this silverplate silent butler dates between 1950 and 1954. You can read more about the history of The Sheffield Silver Company from our Silver Manufacturers pages.
A1563 - Vintage 2-Piece Silverplate SHEFFIELD SILVER CO. Silent Butler Engraved with Brush
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