Description

A good antique silver wine strainer with a broad gadroon border and attractive shell thumb piece. Plain style.

Weight 158 grams, 5 troy ounces.
Height 16.3cm.
Diameter 10.5cm.
London 1827.
Maker John James Keith.
Sterling silver.

Literature: The wine funnel became common towards the end of the 18th century; a few rare earlier examples exist. With the modern wine making methods wine funnels are generally used just for decanting wine however in olden times the wine needed to be filtered before drinking it. The pierced platform is not normally sufficient to strain the wine properly and needs a piece of muslin fitted between the pierced section and the spout. There are two main varieties: the first has a spout which detaches just below the bowl of the funnel, the other has a detachable inner bowl with a pierced centre inside the main bowl. Occasionally there is a further detachable ring which held the muslin firmly. Funnels exist without a pierced strainer and were probably used to decant liquor or possibly perfume; these are normally smaller in size.

This useful silver wine funnel is in very good condition. The silver marks on both pieces are matching, crisp and clear to read.

Maker: John James Keith

John James Keith, London silversmith, no record of apprenticeship or freedom. 1st mark entered as plateworker 1824, 2nd mark 1839. John was known for his ecclesiastical work, and was appointed as the silversmith of the the Ecclesiological Society, who carried out work from designs by William Butterfield - see Culme, J., The Directory of Gold and Silversmiths, Antique Collectors Club, 1987, Volume I, p. 269-270.

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