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Silver History Plate Gifts Eder Kings Castle

The history of silver is as old as the history of man. It speaks in the Bible of "Joseph, who was rich in silver, gold, and oxen". In the pre-Christian era, in certain civilizations, silver was considered more precious than gold. To the early Egyptians, silver had a religious significance and was used profusely in articles of worship.

Silver can be hammered into sheets so thin that it would take 100,000 of them to stack an inch high.

It can be drawn into a wire finer than a human hair.

It is this ductility (or ability to be formed) that makes silver the wonderful art form that it is.

Silver can be shaped by hammering, spinning, or drawing - it can be decorated with etching, chasing, or engraving - sterling silver is the queen of metals. There is no substitute.

Through the centuries, the silversmith or goldsmith has, by a process of elimination, become the most highly skilled craftsman in the world today.

In every generation the "Master Smith" would select from his apprentices those best qualified for training necessary to make a jeweler or silversmith. The less skilled craftsmen stayed in the "minor leagues" and became blacksmiths or bronze workers.

As only the finest craftsman in each generation became master gold and silversmiths, this evolution through the centuries, created a tradition of excellence in both artistry and craftsmanship which is found only in the silver field.

Silver, as we know it today, dates from the 16th and 17th Century. Prior to that time silver was available only to the extremely wealthy nobility - or to the church.

During the 17th Century there arose a new wealthy merchant class.

The fortunes of these traders was founded on the sailing ship. As a sea captain returned from a voyage, with the tremendous profits made, he could purchase a second vessel. By repeating this procedure, the sea captain became a merchant prince with a fleet of vessels at his command.

These men built great estates and furnished them with all available luxuries. We find a tremendous amount of nautical derivation in the decorations, carvings, and silver of these homes.

The "Gadroon" motif so prevalent in Georgian silver is obviously derived from a rope which was a decorative treatment used on the crude wooden tables and chairs which a sea captain might have. When the time came that his wealth permitted him to have furniture made especially for himself, he oftentimes had the rope or "Gadroon" border carved into the furniture. Later, when silver was made to adorn his tables, the same rope motif was used.

The "Shell" motif found in George III items and later, is also derived from the sea, to way nothing of the "Dolphin" which was used profusely for spouts, handles, finials, and feet on various decorative pieces.

Prior to the 18th Century, silver was found primarily in the homes of the nobles or in the possession of churches in the form of chalices, crosses and altar appointments. At that time, most silversmiths were subsidized by either one of the royal households or by some local Bishop. The new wealthy middle-class permitted a number of silversmiths to support themselves as independent craftsman. In the early 1700's, the social revolution and the economic development on which it was based, made the silver craftsman an important man in his town.

In the baronial castle there was a "great standing salt" or "the ceremonial salt".

This "ceremonial salt" was placed on the great "T-shaped table" in the banquet hall in such a way that the nobility sat at the head of the table with the Lord and Master, while the first cousins, second cousins, third cousins, etc., dwindling away down the table to a point of demarcation which set apart the landed gentry from the common serfs. The "salt" was passed from here up the table, and if you sat below the salt you were not only "not worth your salt" but you didn’t get any.

The expression "upper crust" comes from this same era in which the great crusted meat pies were served from the top of the table on down, and obviously the "gentry" got first choice of the crisp, flaky upper crust, and those at the foot of the table were more apt to get the soggy under crust.

Salts and peppers still have social significance and have become one of the more popular wedding presents, as in presenting a pair of sterling salts and peppers you are saying "the finest people have silver salts and peppers on their tables - you are worthy of your salt".

Jack Shepherd was not a famous early English silversmith as is sometimes supposed, but rather was a bandit and highwayman who was hanged when he was 21 years old.

Jack Shepherd was apprentice to a cabinet maker, and until he was 17 years old, he was a model youth. At that time, he either took to drink or was disappointed in love. In any event, from that time on he became one of the most notorious highwaymen in England. His greatest fame, however, was that he was a notorious escape artist. While captured on several occasions, he always made good his escape and was known as "the runaway" Jack Shepherd.

At this very time, (about 1701) footed silver came into vogue - both in gravy boats, salts and peppers, bowls, coffee pots, etc. Folks jokingly said that they had legs so they could run away like Jack Shepherd. This name has stuck to this very day.

Another illustration of interesting history behind modern design is in the long-handled pitcher spoons which we sell today for stirring lemonade in a pitcher. These "pitcher spoons" go back to early Elizabethan days when the long-handled spoons were necessary to reach the mouth as the hand had to be extended out around the great starched ruffles worn around the neck. A long-handled spoon was necessary in order to get food to the mouth without damaging your ruffles.