George V Sterling Silver Milk Jug – Mappin & Webb, Sheffield, 1916
Hallmarked in the middle of the First World War, this jug is a quiet reminder that the tea table carried on.
Mappin & Webb traces its origins to Sheffield in 1775 and grew into one of Britain’s best-known silversmiths and retailers, holding Royal Warrants and supplying silver to households across the Empire. This jug was assayed in Sheffield during 1916–17, in the reign of George V. Even amid the upheaval of the First World War, the traditions of the British tea table remained part of domestic life.
The body is round and full, with a broad stepped shoulder. A decorative beaded border runs around the raised rim, with a corresponding moulded border across the shoulder. A generous pouring lip sweeps out from one side, and the plain loop handle meets the body at a leaf-shaped mount. The jug rises from a spreading round foot. The side is fully hallmarked below the shoulder.
Very good condition, with one or two small but noticeable dings consistent with age and gentle use.
Key Details
Maker: Mappin & Webb, Sheffield
Assay: Sheffield, 1916–17
Hallmarks: maker’s mark M&W, crown, lion passant, date letter y
Period: George V
Material: sterling silver
Form: round milk jug with beaded borders, loop handle with leaf mount, on a spreading foot
Condition: very good; one or two small dings consistent with age and gentle use
Buyer profile: collectors of English hallmarked silver; anyone building a period tea service; those who look for a well-known maker’s name
Collector Appeal
Mappin & Webb is one of the most recognised names in English silver, and a small, well-made piece such as this is an approachable way to own their work. Its date, in the middle of the First World War, gives it a quiet historical interest of its own.
Made for an ordinary afternoon in an extraordinary year.
