Westminster Abbey Vinaigrette, 1842 NM

A great example of a rare castle top vinaigrette. This large box has a high relief scene of Westminster Abbey to the front cover. The underside is engine turned with an engraved dedication to the central cartouche. The gilt grille is beautifully pierced and engraved with floral scrolls. The vinaigrette is hallmarked in typical Birmingham box style and is in excellent condition.

This Abbey in central London has been the coronation church for all English kings and queens since 1066 and is the final resting place of seventeen monarchs. Westminster Abbey is also the place where some of the most significant people in the nation’s history are buried or commemorated. The present church, begun by Henry III in 1245, is one of the most important Gothic buildings in the UK, with the medieval shrine of an Anglo-Saxon saint still at its heart.