150 piece Laceback Trefid Canteen, 1909/38

The Service

We are pleased to be offering an outstanding quality silver 12 place settings canteen in Laceback Trefid Pattern (also known as Charles II pattern). The service provides for a comprehensive twelve pieces per 12 place settings.

This canteen caters for a formal meal with a full complement of fish eaters and fruit/dessert eaters. These items, together with the table and dessert knives are fitted with thick gauge hollow handles which is a superior quality to the thinner gauge handles that have filled interiors. The forks have 3 tines as were used prior to circa 1750.

The service is composed of pieces made by Mappin & Webb (London 1909 and Sheffield 1929) or by Thomas Bradbury & Son (Sheffield 1938). The pieces are all identical, and we suspect that all the pieces were made from the same dies by the same manufacturer and were then marked by the retailer.

The majority of knives are fitted with a large pistol-shaped stainless steel blade that is typical of the type used in the early 18^th century. Three knives that date to 1909 still have their original steel blades and these are remain in fine condition.

Each piece in this service has a good hefty weight and it simply oozes quality. There are no personalised engravings.

Lace-back Trefid Pattern

The latter years of the 17th century saw the introduction in the UK of the first flatware patterns for dining and the first use of the fork (previously just a spoon and knife was used). The Trefid pattern with its trefoil terminal is recognised to be the first true flatware pattern and the earliest form of fork is found in this style.

A popular variant of the Trefid pattern, commissioned by the wealthiest and most avant garde clientele, was the laceback with the extravagantly decorated scrolls to the reverse of the bowls and front of the handle terminal. The table spoons in this service are particularly faithful copies of the 17th century originals. The earliest forks had three prongs, (as per those in this set) and it was not until the mid-18th century that four pronged forks were first used. This pattern was generally made by Vanders for retail clients (bearing the makers mark of the retailer) and was also known as "Charles II pattern".

Components

This 150-piece service consists of the following:

Total weight of weighable silver : 6920 grams (222.5 troy ounces). Additional to this weight are the 24 modern silver handled knives.

Optional Extras

We have extra pieces of Laceback Trefid Pattern in stock, including a set of 6 rare sauce scoops and more knives, forks, spoons etc.

Condition

Excellent polished condition. This service appears to have been barely used with thick bowl tips and full/equal length tines.

Presentation

This canteen is presented in complimentary new anti-tarnish cutlery rolls. These navy blue rolls have individual pockets to hold 12 items per roll. The service is therefore supplied within 13 rolls.

As with all the canteens available from our web-site, we are happy to send a sample place setting for approval, on receipt of a fully refundable surety payment, prior to purchasing this canteen.