Weldons Welcomes a Very Interesting Antique Irish Silver Salver

    DUBLIN, IRELAND, February 16, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Weldon's of Dublin has recently acquired a unique item of Irish silver. It was with great excitement that Mr Garrett Weldon described the new piece in detail. The piece is about 6 1/2 inches in diameter, bearing hallmarks on the back. The most striking and unique feature of the salver is the openwork border, with shamrock style designs. Grapes are also shown on the border, and cascading down the feet. It is very unusual to see the use of shamrocks in early antique Irish silver, the shamrocks make this piece a tremendously rare item. The border was cast and decorated separately, and then applied to the main body of the salver. The salver weighs 281 grams, about 9 ounces, and has good quality hallmarks; the Hibernia is almost completely intact, and the harp crowned is only missing a tiny part off the top; the maker's mark is struck twice. As is commonly seen in mid-eighteenth century silver, there is no date letter.

The piece was made by Samuel Walker who was from a famous family of silversmiths from Dublin. He had a long career, working from the late 1720s as an apprentice to John Taylor, until his death in 1769. Walker's father, Joseph Walker, was a wonderful silversmith, who was a freeman from 1690-1722, and served a period as master warden of the Company of Goldsmiths of Dublin. He was also elected to Dublin City Council in 1714. Other members of the family known to have worked in the trade are James, Thomas and Matthew, whoever we are uncertain as to their relationships to the Walker family they may have been uncles or siblings. Thomas Walker was a silversmith working in Dublin from 1714-76, a remarkably long career.

Weldons are a well-known family jewellers based in Dublin city centre and specialise in engagement rings, diamond ring and antique Irish silver. Weldons are one of the founding members of the Irish Antique Dealers Association.

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