How to Identify English Silver Drinking Vessels 600-1830

How to Identify English Silver Drinking Vessels 600–1830 by Douglas Ash, published in 1964 by G. Bell and Sons Ltd, is an authoritative reference guide for collectors, dealers, curators, and students of antique silver. Spanning over twelve centuries of craftsmanship, this detailed study provides a systematic framework for identifying, dating, and evaluating English silver drinking vessels from the early medieval period through the Georgian era.

Douglas Ash combines historical scholarship with practical connoisseurship, offering readers clear guidance on stylistic development, construction techniques, and hallmark interpretation. The book examines key forms including chalices, tankards, goblets, posset pots, caudle cups, and wine cups, tracing their evolution in response to social customs, liturgical use, and changing tastes. Particular attention is given to assay marks, maker’s marks, and date letters—critical tools for authentication and valuation in the antiques trade.

Richly illustrated with line drawings and photographic plates, How to Identify English Silver Drinking Vessels enables accurate visual comparison and stylistic analysis. Ash’s structured approach makes the work especially useful for those engaged in provenance research, auction cataloguing, or museum documentation. The chronological scope from 600 to 1830 provides a rare continuity, linking Anglo-Saxon metalwork traditions through Tudor, Stuart, and Georgian silversmithing excellence.

The 1964 G. Bell and Sons Ltd edition is typically presented in durable hardcover, reflecting its intended use as a long-term reference volume. For collectors of antique silver, historians of decorative arts, and specialists in English material culture, this book remains an essential identification manual and a respected contribution to silver scholarship.

How to Identify English Silver Drinking Vessels 600–1830 continues to serve as a practical and scholarly cornerstone for anyone serious about the study and collection of historic English silver.

Condition – Near Fine Original dust jacket present, showing general shelf wear with edgewear and a few tears, yet still complete and protective. Black cloth-covered boards remain in very good condition with minimal handling wear; gilt spine lettering and silvered wine-glass illustration are crisp and clear. Binding firm and square. Internally clean and well preserved, with only minor discoloration confined to the endpapers; the remainder of the pages are bright and free from notable defects. Overall a very respectable, well-kept reference copy.