A Johnson and Durban, Birmingham, Victorian Sterling Silver Mustard Pot & Glass Liner

Manufacturer - Johnson, Durban & Co., Aston Road, Birmingham

Date - 1897

Description - An elegant sterling silver mustard pot standing on three neat ball feet and complete with its deep blue glass liner. The clean, rounded form and simple footed base give it a refined presence, while the liner adds a pleasing contrast of colour. A charming and practical piece of late 19th‑century table silver.

Condition - The mustard pot and blue glass liner are in clean, good condition

Hallmark - The mustard pot has clear hallmarks with cypher for Johnson, Burban & Co., and a Birmingham date cypher for 1897

Dimensions - Maximum height: 5.5cms

Weight - Silver weight: (without liner) 37gms

Historical Context 1897:
* Queen Victoria begins her 60th year as Monarch
* Queen Victoria celebrates her accession to the throne in 1837 with her Diamond Jubilee celebrations, centred on London but with beacons lit across the country
* Tate Gallery opens in London
* Maidstone typhoid epidemic breaks out and continues to 29 January 1898 - the largest typhoid epidemic experienced in the UK, with more than 1000 people infected and at least 132 deaths
* Marconi sends his first wireless communication over open sea when the message "Are you ready" is transmitted across the Bristol Channel from Lavernock Point in South Wales to Flat Holm Island, a distance of 3.7 miles