Victorian Silver Ruby Lined Bon Bon Dish Thomas Bradbury & Sons, 1848

A silver bonbon dish of square form with canted corners, the body pierced with an intricate trellis and scrollwork design above feet of considerable decorative vigour. The undulating upper border is gadroon-edged, and a shaped swing handle with knopped detail completes the piece. Throughout, the pierced silver is set against a vivid ruby glass liner, the deep red of the glass glowing through the openwork body with striking effect. Made by Thomas Bradbury & Sons and hallmarked Sheffield, 1848, this is a richly decorative piece of early Victorian silversmithing, the contrast between the bright silver and ruby glass making it as arresting today as when it was first made.