Antique English Glass & Silverplate Grape Stand

Few things capture the splendid ceremony of the Victorian table quite like an object created expressly for the serving of grapes. This magnificent Antique English Silverplate Grape Stand, crafted by celebrated Sheffield silversmiths Pinder Brothers, transforms the humble bunch of grapes into a centerpiece worthy of considerable attention.

Raised high above the table on an elaborate silverplate stand, the generously sized etched glass dish rests within a beautifully modeled grape-and-vine collar, lush with clusters of grapes and trailing leaves. Three scrolling supports descend gracefully from the upper platform, embellished with delicate foliate flourishes and terminating in handsome feet. At the center, an elegant baluster-form standard rises from an ornate circular base richly decorated with classical foliage, giving the entire piece an extraordinary architectural presence.

As Victorian dining became increasingly elaborate during the 19th century, an impressive assortment of specialized serving pieces appeared for virtually every conceivable delicacy. Grapes received particularly elegant treatment. Presented at the dessert course in a raised stand or fruit comport such as this, they might be accompanied by grape shears, allowing diners to snip away a small cluster without disturbing the remainder of the fruit. Indeed, Mrs. Beeton's famed 1861 Book of Household Management specifically instructed that grape scissors should be provided whenever the dessert table included fruit requiring them.

Founded in Sheffield in 1877 by brothers John Thomas Griffith Pinder and Charles Edward Pinder, Pinder Brothers began as a small firm of silversmiths and electroplaters before becoming respected manufacturers of finely crafted silverplate hollowware and table accessories. This wonderfully exuberant grape stand is a delightful example of the firm's work and of an age when even serving fruit could become an occasion.

Still marvelously useful more than a century later, fill its beautiful etched glass dish with grapes in the traditional manner, pile it high with seasonal fruit, or simply allow this spectacular confection of glass and gleaming silverplate to command the center of the table.

Strictly one-of-a-kind and subject to prior sale. In very good antique condition. 8 1/2"D Base x 10 7/8"H.