Antique Victorian Sterling Silver & Mother of Pearl Fruit / Dessert Service

Exceptional, fine and impressive antique Victorian English sterling silver and mother of pearl fruit/dessert cutlery set for eighteen persons - boxed; an addition to our dining silverware collection. This magnificent, fine and impressive antique Victorian sterling silver and mother of pearl dessert service consists of eighteen knives and eighteen forks. The blades of the Victorian knives have a rounded form and the forks each have four tines/prongs. The surface of each knife blade and drop of each fork is embellished with an impressive contemporary bright cut engraved crest of on a mural crown with a heron's head erased. Each piece of this antique silver dessert service is fitted with the original and impressive, large tapering mother of pearl handle. The knives and forks retain the original sterling silver ferrules ornamented with embossed leaf ornamentation. Each mother of pearl knife and fork is fitted to the fine and impressive original hinged rose wood canteen box with a lift up lid and two lift out trays. The interior of the box bears a satin lining to the cover and velvet lining to the trays and well. The surface of the antique cutlery box cover bears an impressive inlaid mother of pearl cartouche, embellished with the identical ink stained crest as that engraved to the flatware; this verifies the box is original to the service. Such comprehensive eighteen place services are rare and becoming increasingly difficult to locate. Maker: Henry Atkin Origin: Sheffield, England