Sterling Silver | Art Deco Octagonal Pepperette | Birmingham 1934 | 21g

The Art Deco pepperette — proof that even the most utilitarian object on the table deserved to be designed properly.

The single pepperette or pepper caster occupies a particular place in English silversmithing — small enough to be dismissed, specific enough in its requirements to demand real craft. By the 1930s the form had shed the ornament of its Georgian predecessors entirely and adopted the architectural vocabulary of Art Deco: flat planes, geometric faceting, and structural detail substituting for applied decoration. This Birmingham example from 1934 is a competent and characteristic piece of the period — octagonal in plan, widening from a narrow footed base toward a broader shoulder, with four small bracket feet at the base corners and a threaded pierced dome top surmounted by a faceted knop finial. There is no applied ornament anywhere on the body; the decoration is entirely in the geometry of the form itself.

The body is the octagonal form widening from a narrow footed base toward a broader shoulder — an inverted taper that gives the piece its characteristic top-heavy, architectural stance. Four small bracket feet at the base corners elevate the narrower foot from the surface. The eight flat polished panels meet at sharp vertical edges throughout. The dome top is threaded and screws off to fill; the pierced dome carries multiple circular holes for dispersal and is surmounted by a small faceted rectangular knop finial. The interior is plain unlined silver. The hallmarks are struck on the underside of the base.

The piece is in very good condition. The body panels show light surface marks and age-consistent minor tarnishing across the flat faces — not damage, but honest age. There is sticker residue present on the underside of the base; this has not damaged the silver beneath and is noted for full transparency. No dents, splits, or damage to any part of the body, feet, or dome top.

Key Details:

• Maker: Maker's mark present — not fully legible
• Material: Sterling silver (92.5%) — lion passant confirmed
• Form: Octagonal inverted-taper pepperette with pierced dome top, faceted knop finial, and four bracket feet
• Hallmarks: Maker's mark (unclear) | Birmingham anchor | lion passant | date letter K — 1934
• Period: 1934 — Art Deco
• Dimensions: Height 5.9cm | Length 3cm | Width 2.5cm
• Weight: 21g
• Condition: Very good — light surface marks and minor age tarnishing to body panels; sticker residue to underside of base (not damaging); no dents or splits
• Buyer profile: Art Deco silver collector; sterling silver tableware buyer; buyer seeking a documented pre-war English silver piece

The Art Deco pepperette — proof that even the most utilitarian object on the table deserved to be designed properly.