George V Sterling Silver Four-Trumpet Epergne – Birmingham, 1913

George V Sterling Silver Four-Trumpet Epergne – Birmingham, 1913

An epergne asks for very little, a few stems and a little water, and gives the whole table somewhere to look.

Epergnes, tall centrepieces for flowers or sweetmeats, became a fixture of the English dining table in the eighteenth century. By the early twentieth century, small trumpet epergnes like this one were a popular way to bring a few fresh stems to the table without crowding it. This example was hallmarked in Birmingham in 1913, in the early years of the reign of George V. The maker’s mark, read as J.C … Ld, is attributed to J. Collyer & Co. Ltd of Birmingham.

A tall central trumpet rises from a weighted, domed circular base. Three smaller trumpets curve outwards from the lower central stem, and all four end in softly frilled rims, a flower-like form that owes something to Art Nouveau. The silver is otherwise plain and polished, so the piece relies on its outline.

Very good condition, with no dents, splits or repairs and only gentle signs of age. The base is fully hallmarked.

Key Details

• Maker: Attributed to J. Collyer & Co. Ltd, Birmingham (maker’s mark partly legible)
• Assay: Birmingham, 1913–14
• Hallmarks: Maker’s mark, anchor, lion passant, date letter o
• Period: George V
• Material: Sterling silver, with a weighted base
• Form: Four-trumpet table epergne
• Dimensions: Height 19.5 cm; diameter approximately 13 cm
• Weight: 233 g gross (including the weighted base, not the silver alone)
• Condition: Very good; no dents, splits or repairs; only gentle signs of age
• Buyer profile: Collectors of English hallmarked silver, and anyone who enjoys fresh flowers on the dining or side table

Collector Appeal

Small trumpet epergnes are among the most practical pieces of early twentieth-century silver: they suit a modern table as easily as a traditional one, and need only a few flowers to look complete. With clear Birmingham marks and all four trumpets intact, this is a well-proportioned example of the form.

The flowers it holds last a few days; the silver has already outlasted more than a century of them.