Sterling Silver Table Bell – C.J. Vander Ltd, London, 1933
Before the intercom, a small bell could summon assistance from another room.
Table bells were rung at the dining table or in the drawing room to call a servant, and by the 1930s they had become a familiar piece of English domestic silver. This bell was hallmarked in London in 1933–34, during the reign of George V, and was made by C.J. Vander Ltd, a London firm of silversmiths.
The bell has a plain, flared body with a stepped shoulder and a moulded rim. It is topped by a turned baluster handle with a knopped finial, and the clapper hangs inside on a short rod ending in a round pad. The silver is otherwise plain and polished. It is hallmarked on the side above the rim.
Very good condition. The handle leans slightly to one side but does not affect the bell’s function.
Maker: C.J. Vander Ltd, London (maker’s mark partly struck)
Assay: London, 1933–34
Hallmarks: Maker’s mark, lion passant, leopard’s head, date letter s
Period: George V
Material: Sterling silver
Form: Table bell with turned baluster handle
Dimensions: Height 10 cm; diameter 5.4 cm
Weight: 111 g
Condition: Very good; handle leans slightly, function unaffected
Buyer profile: Collectors of English hallmarked silver, and anyone looking for a useful and unusual piece for the dining table or desk
Collector Appeal
Silver table bells combine a real purpose with a pleasing form. Made in London by C.J. Vander Ltd and hallmarked for 1933–34, this one will appeal to collectors of English silver and of small domestic tableware, and it is as much at home on a desk as on the dining table.
Once used to summon attention, the bell remains a small reminder of the rituals of an earlier household.
