Entertaining with THE CHARLESTON SILVER LADY

This oval silver basket is beautifully pierced with great attention to decorative appeal.

Each section of the basket has been artfully decorated with handchasing, which further enhances the appeal of the piercing. Made to garner attention for the special treat it held, this basket rests on an oval foot which lifts it from the surface it sits on, allowing an even more eye-catching view of the pierced and chased decoration.

Filled with muffins, scones and other tea time treats, this basket could sit stationary on a table top or it could be passed, using the artfully shaped handle that folds down to disappear when not in use.  

This basket will hold about 12 of what we call mini-muffins. This basket is much smaller than what you may know as a brides basket, which is a Victorian-era accessory for turn-of-the-century weddings. It is also larger than baskets used for nuts, sugar cubes and candy.  

The size makes this the perfect basket to repurpose—perhaps for biscuits on your holiday table.. The size is considered rare as muffin baskets such as this example are uniquely English vessels.  

Along with this basket would have been a “muffin fork,” another gift from tea time in England. This two-tined fork was made very short with a loop handle. It would have been tied to the handle of the basket with a decorative ribbon ,which was very effective in keeping the fork from sliding off of a display of sweet treats.  

Adaptive reuse of this basket will beautifully craft new memories for yet another generation—in England and in America.