Antique 1915 Birmingham Sterling Silver Lidded Salt Cellar — G.N & R.H Maker's Mark, Original Blue Glass Liner, Three Hoof Feet

A century of character, captured in silver and cobalt blue.

This is a genuinely beautiful and historically significant piece of antique English silversmithing — a hallmarked sterling silver lidded salt cellar with original cobalt blue glass liner, made in Birmingham in 1915 by the highly regarded firm of George Nathan & Ridley Hayes. Substantial, decorative, and deeply collectable, this is a salt cellar that commands attention on any table or in any collection.

The form is wonderfully accomplished. The body is a generous globular shape — smooth, rounded, and deeply reflective — raised on three elegantly cast hoof feet, each with a delicate shell and foliate detail at the shoulder that gives the piece a lightness and refinement that belies its solid weight. The upper rim is shaped with a softly scalloped border — a charming period detail that adds decorative interest without overwhelming the clean lines of the body. A simple loop handle rises from one side, slender and well-proportioned.

The hinged domed lid is a delight in itself — gently domed with a shaped and scalloped border echoing the rim of the body, surmounted by a small turned acorn finial that is both practical and decorative. A small cut-out notch in the lid accommodates a salt spoon — a functional detail that speaks to the care and completeness of the original design.

Open the lid and the piece reveals its most striking feature — a deep, brilliant cobalt blue glass liner, vivid and jewel-like against the polished silver surround. The use of cobalt blue glass liners in English salt cellars was both practical — protecting the silver from the corrosive effects of salt — and deeply decorative, the rich blue creating a jewel box effect that remains as visually arresting today as it was over a century ago.

About George Nathan & Ridley Hayes

George Nathan & Ridley Hayes were a well-regarded Birmingham silversmithing partnership producing quality decorative silver from the late 19th century into the early 20th century. Their work is consistently well-finished and keenly sought by collectors of English antique silver. The date letter "q" confirms this piece was made in 1915 — the second year of the First World War, a period when Birmingham silver production continued despite the enormous pressures of the conflict, with craftsmen producing fine silverware even as the world around them changed forever. A piece bearing the G.N & R.H maker's mark and a 1915 date letter carries both maker credibility and quiet historical resonance that serious collectors deeply appreciate.

Hallmarks — Clearly Struck

• Maker's Mark: G.N & R.H — George Nathan & Ridley Hayes
• Assay Office: Birmingham — anchor mark
• Standard: Sterling Silver — lion passant
• Date Letter: "q" — confirming 1915
• All marks present and clearly visible in close-up photographs provided

An honest condition assessment

This piece is over 110 years old and has lived a full life — and we believe in telling its story honestly. The exterior silver presents pleasantly with a good overall appearance and attractive reflective finish. The interior of the salt cellar body shows notable age-related patination and some salt corrosion damage to the silver — entirely consistent with a century of use and clearly visible in the interior photographs. The hinge mechanism carries an old repair — functional but visible on close inspection, as shown in the detailed hinge photograph. The original cobalt blue glass liner is present and intact but has one or two small chips to the rim — again honestly disclosed and visible in the photographs. None of these condition points detract from the beauty, collectability, or display appeal of the piece — they are simply part of its century of history and are reflected honestly in the pricing.

Specifications

• Metal: Sterling Silver
• Maker: George Nathan & Ridley Hayes, Birmingham
• Maker's Mark: G.N & R.H
• Assay Office: Birmingham
• Date Letter: "q" — 1915
• Total Weight: 77 grams
• Silver Weight: 43 grams
• Glass Liner Weight: 34 grams
• Height: 5 cm
• Length: 7.5 cm
• Width: 5.2 cm
• Liner: Original cobalt blue glass — one or two small rim chips present
• Hinge: Old repair — functional 
• Interior: Age and salt-related patination visible
• Exterior: Pleasant overall condition with good reflective finish

A piece with genuine presence, a named maker, a confirmed 1915 date, and over a century of history — the kind of salt cellar that deserves a place of honour on a dressed table or in a serious silver collection.