A Charles Ashbee for the Guild of Handicraft silver mustard

For sale is this Charles Ashbee for the Guild of Handicraft silver mustard, set with turquoise stones to the base.  A really beautiful rare piece that has that jewel like quality that Ashbee was so adept at creating.  The mustard is in excellent condition with an old blue glass liner that may not be original.

This mustard is unmarked but has direct provenance back to Arthur Curer Briggs (1855-1906). Briggs was Mayor of the City of Leeds (1903-04) and Alderman of the City of Leeds (1904-06).  He was an important patron of the arts and crafts movement, commissioning one of Voysey’s most important buildings, the Broad Leys, Lake Windermere, as his holiday home.  This piece was auctioned at Tooveys on 23rd Febraury 2011, lot 303 by one of his direct descendants – see link.  For more information on the Briggs family see Sotheby’s lot 40, Treasures sale 3rd July 2019, at this link.

An image of this mustard also appears in a catalogue of the Guild c 1901 – see images.  Having examined the detailed work to the silver I am confident this is the exact mustard featured in the catalogue and is possibly a unique piece.

Price: £5,000-10,000

Maker: Guild of Handicrafts Limited

Designer: Charles Ashbee

Date: c. 1900/1

Marks: Unmarked

Material: Sterling silver, turquoise

Condition: Excellent, probable replaced liner

Size: 9 cm high, 5.75 cm diameter across base

Weight: 3.1 oz, 88g (silver only)