Long Tailed Bird - Meriden B. Company

The Victorian Era was the age of Silver. Up until the mid-1800's silver of any kind, whether plated or sterling, was rare and expensive.  Except for the very rich, most people could not afford it.  Going into the mid 1800's, three separate, historical events occurred resulting in the ability to fashion objects of silver, or silverplate, that made it more affordable to the common household.  They were:

1 - The discovery of the Comstock Lode and other mines in the newly opened western frontier of the United States. 

2 - The invention of BRITANNIA - a metal alloy similar to pewter, though harder, more workable, and without lead.  This became the base metal for most silverplated items of the Victorian Era.

3 - Technology advanced creating new ways to fashion and manufacture silver mechanically and with less manual labor involved.  This new efficiency greatly increased production ability and lowered costs involved.

The new source of silver flooded the market lowering prices and increasing demand.  Most individual craftsman could not keep up with the new demands or the new technologies.  They either banded together into larger manufacturing companies, or they faded away into the mists of history.  Our most well known American Silver Companies began at this time, or slightly before...Meriden, Rogers, Gorham, Wallace, Reed & Barton, Towle, etc... 

The demand for silver wares became so great, it was difficult to keep pace with it.  Many of the silversmithing shops were located near each other, in or around Meriden Connecticut.   They often shared resources and jobbed-out portions of the manufacturing process to other plants.  A fork might be cut at the Rogers plant using their dyes, but plated at Meriden B. Company.  You will often find old pieces double marked with both companies. As far as this applies to Victorian Figural Napkin Rings, the same piece can often be found bearing the mark of different makers.  You will see multiple versions of a figure with different bases and napkin rings...all with different makers marks.  This unusual, mutual reliance in business eventually led to the formation of larger corporations.  These are still known and operating today under the familiar names of International Silver and Oneida Silversmiths.

Squirrel reined to Napkin Ring - Authentic, Unmarked

SOCIOLOGY

The Victorians delighted in the enlightenment of the individual person, as well as society as a whole.  They heartily took up causes, became more aware and active in environmental issues, politics, scientific and medical advancements, and created an entire social order based on entertaining...and doing it well.

As the average person became more comfortably well off and could afford the embellishments of comfort...embellish they did...HEARTILY!  The shear number and varieties of even the humble spoon created in this era are almost mind boggling!  There was a seperate spoon for every conceivable use!

Eating became an event, on every occasion that the family got together, whether there were guests or not.  Five to Seven course meals were standard for a family dinner.  When guests were present, they pulled out all the stops.  Meals became 12 - 15 course affairs.  The table and sideboard would simply groan with lavish displays of food, utensils and decorative objects.  Even a modest household could afford servants and would entertain to this degree.   For a fabulous, first-hand account of what it was like to live during this time, read Agatha Christie's Autobiography.  She grew up in the Victorian era and describes it wonderfully, and besides...it is a REALLY GOOD READ! 

Napkin rings were a MUST for the well dressed table.  No self respecting Victorian would be without them when entertaining.  They were practical as well as decorative.  A new understanding of germs and how they spread sickness and disease was in part responsible for the surge of the use of the humble napkin ring.  Each person at the table must use their own napkin and must be able to identify which one is theirs.  A simple solution to this was simply to have each napkin ring engraved with the name of the person who would be using it.  A fancier and funner answer to this dilemma was to give each person his or her own fabulously fashioned napkin ring...a puppy for the child, a lovely cherub for the lady, and a baseball player for the gentleman who is a sports fan, etc...  The Napkin Rings also reflected the very heart of Victorian society and its interests perfectly in their magnificent miniature forms.   Here is a sampling:

NATURE

Open Flower - Meriden B. Company

Victorian society found a new love of the natural world.  As they became more environmentally aware , their newfound love of all things natural lead to the crafting of items for the home that displayed their sensitivity to nature.  Fruits and flowers, birds and animals adorned all manner of objects.  Many figural napkin rings celebrate this love of nature in gret abandon in the forms of cats, dogs, birds, sheep, squirrels, butterflies, pears and even the dreaded rat.

LITERATURE

This napkin ring has an authentic Kate Greenaway figure, but the napkin ring is a replacement

The Victorians were highly literate, both  writing and reading great amounts of prose and poetry, as well as being effusive in their writing of letters to one another.  An interest in the classics resurfaced, as well sa in ancient myths and mythology.  Many figural napkin rings reflect this line of interest with chubby cherubs, characters from books - Kate Greenaway's lovely children, myths - young Eros riding a Greek Mythological Dolphin, and legends - such as Rip Van Winkle.

HEALTH

Hunting Dog - Simpson, Hall, Miller & Co

They became newly interested in healthy living and sports as a means to achieve a healthy disposition.  A few napkin rings celebrate this with figures of sports like hockey, golf and tennis.  Many napkin rings also contain the phrase BEST WISHES, reflecting their desire for their friends to be healthy and prosperous.

Hopefully this gives you a little insight into why these beautiful objects were made and why they still exist.  Collectors are passionate about them because they are a window into a fascinating time in our history.  And, besides that, they are simply marvelous!

Be sure to check out my next guide on how to tell if you are getting an authentic Victorian Figural Napkin Ring.  There are many reproductions and fakes out there to watch out for.  Thank you for your time and interest.  I would love to hear from you if you found this guide interesting or helpful. 

Diane

dlcass