Silver (household) - Citizendia

Household silver (the silver, the plate) comprises dishware, cutlery and other household items made of sterling, Britannia or Sheffield plate silver. Cutlery refers to any hand Implement used in preparing serving and especially eating Food in the Western world. Sterling silver is an Alloy of Silver containing 925% pure silver and 7 Britannia silver is an Alloy of Silver containing 9584% silver with the balance usually Copper. Sheffield plate is a layered combination of Silver and Copper that was used for many years to produce a wide range of household articles Sometimes bought in sets or combined to form sets, such as a set of silver candlesticks or a silver tea service. A candlestick, chamberstick, or single candelabrum is a holder for one or more Candles used for illumination rituals or decorative purposes A silver tea service is an expensive Tea set. It is usually the household's best and is used following formal dinners or at a Tea party.

_{Set of Coburg pattern spoons}

Silver requires a good deal of care, as it tarnishs and must be hand polished, since careless or machine polishing ruins the patina and can completely erode the silver layer in Sheffield plate. Coburg is a town located on the Itz River in Bavaria, Germany Patina is a coating of various chemical compounds such as Oxides or Carbonates formed on the surface of metal during exposure to Weathering. Sheffield plate is a layered combination of Silver and Copper that was used for many years to produce a wide range of household articles

In a great house, the footmen cleaned and polished the silver, overseen by the butler who was responsible for it. For the architecture of great houses see Mansion. For the great house masonry pueblos see Chaco Culture National Historical Park. A footman (plural -men) is a Male Servant, notably as Domestic staff. A butler is a senior servant in a large Household. In the Great houses of the past the household was sometimes divided into departments with the butler In middle-income households the few items of silver or silverplate may be displayed on a buffet or in a cabinet or china cabinet or breakfront, but a larger collection of silver is usually locked away in a secure room or a special silver safe. A sideboard is an item of Furniture traditionally used in the dining room for serving food for displaying serving dishes such as silver and for Storage. A cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of Government, typically representing the executive branch. The very first china cabinet was created during the King William and Queen Mary era (1689-1702 in England

		_{Mark of Robert Cooper}	_{De Lamerie}
_{pair of salts, salver and cream jug bearing arms of family of Beachcroft (Arms granted 12 Nov. 1717: Bendy of siz argent and gules three stags heads cabossed or, Crest: a beech tree proper behind six park pales argent)}	_{seven salvers (c. 1735-1750). (Arms of Bisse (granted Ireland 25 May 1637): sable three escalops in pale argent a canton ermine and a crescent for difference or. Crest: 'on a mount vert two snakes or, interlaced respecting each other)}	_{A c1770 hot-water jug, Dublin}	_{Paul Storr}
_{GS & WF canteen laid out}	_{Coburg pattern canteen}	_{detail of a teapot}	_{detail of GS & WF forks. George Smith III and William Fearn}

See also