Early 19th-Century Old Sheffield Plate Dish Cloche, Circa 1810
Early 19th-Century Old Sheffield Plate Dish Cloche, Circa 1810
7140
An elegant early 19th-century Old Sheffield Plate dish cloche, dating to circa 1810, with a wonderfully decorative Rococo-inspired handle and border. Intended to cover and retain the warmth of a prepared dish at the table, it is both a practical dining accessory and a refined expression of the splendour of the Regency-period table.
The gently domed cover is framed by an ornate scrolling border, while the central handle is cast with lively Rococo ornament. Its sinuous form provides an attractive focal point and allows the cloche to be lifted with ease. The bright plated surface enhances the sculptural quality of the decoration and gives the piece an impressive presence when displayed.
Old Sheffield Plate, developed in the mid-18th century, was produced by fusing a sheet of silver to copper before shaping the object. This innovative process offered the brilliance and elegance of silver at a more accessible level, and it became especially popular for the richly appointed dining and serving wares of the Georgian and Regency eras. By circa 1810, pieces such as this would have formed part of a well-equipped dining service, used to present food with ceremony and to keep it warm between kitchen and table.
Today, this handsome cloche makes a versatile and distinctive decorative object. It may be returned to use as part of a traditional table setting, displayed on a sideboard or dining table, or added to a collection of Old Sheffield Plate, Georgian dining ware, or historic table silver.
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