Victorian Silver Ruby Lined Pierced Dishes David & John Wellby, 1898

A fine and decorative pair of late Victorian silver pierced oval dishes with ruby glass liners, made by the distinguished London silversmiths David & John Wellby and hallmarked 1898. The pierced silverwork, worked with the precision and ambition that characterised the finest Victorian craftsmanship, creates an elegant interplay of light and shadow across the oval form, whilst the rich ruby glass liners provide a striking contrast that is at once bold and refined. Pieces such as these, combining the silversmith's art with the brilliance of coloured glass, represent Victorian decorative silver at its most inventive and appealing.