A SMALL COLLECTION OF ANTIQUE SILVER
AND OBJECTS OF VERTU
silver sealing wax dispenser - England
The seal wax is a device bearing a monogram or design in intaglio for imparting an impression in relief on soft and tenacious substances as wax. Seals have been made since ancient times. Sealing wax is a material which, after melting, quickly hardens (to paper, parchment, ribbons and wire, and other material) forming a bond that cannot be separated without noticeable tampering. Wax is used to verify something such as a document is unopened, to verify the sender's identity and as decoration.
Sealing wax can be used to create a hermetic seal on containers and letters and is available in the form of sticks, sometimes with a wick, or as granules. The stick is melted at one end using a flame and then placed where required, usually on the flap of an envelope. While the wax is still soft the seal should be quickly pressed into it and released.
This is an Edwardian silver sealing wax dispenser in the form of an elongated square container with a sliding device to pull off the sealing stick. The wax dispenser's top is suitable to be properly engraved and used itself as a seal wax (this is unengraved).
The sealing wax dispenser bears full hallmarks for London 1903, maker's mark WH on an escalloped contour. This mark was registered at the London Assay Office on 30th August 1898 by William Hornby.
William James Hornby is first recorded at 304 City Road before removing to 14 Soho Square, Soho in 1884 were he was listed in 1899 as manufacturing goldsmith and in 1900 as a silversmith and pencil case maker. From 1900 he moved to Heddon Street, Regent Street. He died in 1914 but the business was continued by Henry Hill under the same style.
The sealing wax dispenser is 7 in. wide (cm. 18) and was bought from an UK dealer through the Internet.
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This is a page of 'The What is? Silver Dictionary' of A Small Collection of Antique Silver and Objects of vertu, a 1500 pages richly illustrated website offering all you need to know about antique silver, sterling silver, silverplate, Sheffield plate, electroplate silver, silverware, flatware, tea services and tea complements, marks and hallmarks, articles, books, auction catalogs, famous silversmiths (Tiffany, Gorham, Jensen, Elkington), history, oddities ...
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This is a page of 'The What is? Silver Dictionary' of A Small Collection of Antique Silver and Objects of vertu, a 1500 pages richly illustrated website offering all you need to know about antique silver, sterling silver, silverplate, Sheffield plate, electroplate silver, silverware, flatware, tea services and tea complements, marks and hallmarks, articles, books, auction catalogs, famous silversmiths (Tiffany, Gorham, Jensen, Elkington), history, oddities ...