Antique footed WILCOX quadruple silver plate covered butter dish in an unusual shape, with the original silverplate drain dish, bright cut flower and leaf ornamentation and outstanding workmanship.
This heavy (1 pound, 9 ounce) silverplated butter dish features a footed base with decorative feet, applied silverplated handles and gadroon trim along the outside edge. The handles show a moderate amount of silverplate loss, as does the inside edge of the tray. The gadroon trim, most notably between the handles, also shows a moderate amount of silver plate wear. The bottom of the butter tray base, though, shows only very, very minor wear.
The original silverplate drain tray for this antique butter dish shows very little wear with only a few tiny pinpricks and a few light surface scratches.
The cover of this Wilcox silver plate butter dish has a moderate amount of silverplate wear along the sides, and along the engraved detail on the top. The ball-shaped finial also indicates wear. This inside of the lid is near mint. The butter lid also sports a matching gadroon trim along the edge.
The prongs on the front which hold a butter knife are firmly attached. One is very slightly bent.
Years ago, cooking in America called for tremendous amounts of butter. Though margarine made its appearance during World War II, there was no substitute for butter when most of the silver shown on this page was produced.
In order to use butter in the large one-pound blocks in which it was generally sold, a dish was invented that not only helped with the presentation at the table, but was a necessity. Most silver and silverplate butter dishes consist of three silver parts: the lid, the pierced liner, and the base. Butter was placed on the liner, allowing the excess water from the butter to drain through the piercing. If the weather was warm, ice was added with the butter on top, and the melting ice could drain through the piercing.
These silver and silverplated dishes are also known as domed butter dishes, covered butter dishes and just butter dishes. These more ornate butter dishes are less common than the more commonly seen rectangular butter dishes - just slightly larger than a stick of modern butter. Rarely does one see these rounded butter dishes in use anymore, and they have achieved a strong collecting following.
For fancy dinners, the hostess may have had one of the servants make fancy molded pieces of butter called “butter pats” or butter balls, which were served on crushed ice in the butter dish to be picked up with a butter pick. These required yet another butter serving piece, itself known as a “butter pat.” Butter pats were tiny plates placed at each individual setting, to be used for a single piece of butter. They range in diameter from approximately 2 2/5 inches to about 3 ¼ inches, and were made in sterling as well in porcelain. Many sterling silver companies produced butter pats to match their sterling flatware patterns.
As butter began to be commercially produced for distribution in individually wrapped quarter pound cubes, the large form became obsolete. Thus the butter dish began a new form. This new dish usually had a crystal liner, to protect the silver from the salt used in making the butter. Most of the new butter dish forms are 8 – 9 inches long.
Overall, this is a fine example of Victorian period silver, measuring 6" from handle to handle, 4.75" front to back and standing 4" high to the top of the finial. Touchmarked on the base with "Wilcox Silver Plate Co." together with the Wilcox logo, quadruple plate, the pattern/order number of 3268 and a patent stamp of November 10, 1885. You can read more about the history of Wilcox Silver of Meriden, Ct. from our Silver Manufacturers pages.
A998 - Antique WILCOX Quadruple Silverplate Butter Dish
$235.00
