A Liberty & Co Cymric silver cup by Oliver Baker

Price range: Sold

For sale is this lovely Liberty Cymric (christening) cup by Oliver Baker. A really striking piece, the bowl is studded with bright fire or Mexican opals, with a large turquoise set to the top of the handle.  Like all these early Baker designs for Haseler/Liberty it is a highly authentic hand hammered arts and crafts piece.

This cup is model 224 in the Liberty sketch book (page 222). It is also listed on pages 40-41 of the first illustrated Liberty Cymric catalogue  c 1900 where it is described as “Silver Christening Cup, Inlaid with Mexican Opals, and Handle with Turquoise. Price £6 10s”.  See images

Condition is excellent with just some rubbing to the main assay marks, especially the date mark.  The handle carries part marks with a clear date mark. The bowl is fully hallmarked for 1900.  Provenance Woolley Wallis, 2009.

Please see my article on Baker at this link if you wish to read more about him and his work.  Baker was an antiquarian and artist who through his friendship with William Haseler, became an unlikely innovator in silver design between 1898 and 1904, being instrumental, together with Archibald Knox, in the establishment of Liberty’s Cymric range.

Maker: Liberty & Co

Designer: Oliver Baker

Date : 1900

Marks: L&Co, Birmingham, “a”

Material: Sterling silver, fire opals, turquoise

Condition: Excellent

Size: Height 8 cm, max diameter 11cm

Weight :  180 grams, 6.3 oz total