Vintage Eales of Sheffield Hammered Silver Plate Decanter, c. 1969–1985
Viridian Eclection
The Piece
A spirit decanter in pressed glass, the lower half sleeved in hammered silver plate. The metal is the reason to look twice. It wraps the body as a continuous planished skin, every facet of the hammering catching light at a different angle, and it is finished top and bottom with a pierced and scalloped border that folds over onto the glass and holds the sleeve in place without solder showing at the front.
The glass above the sleeve carries a band of raised blocks, then a run of broad flutes rising to a panelled neck and a flared lip. The stopper is a heavy ball pressed in the same block pattern with a cut star to the crown, and it seats cleanly. Where the plate has worn on the high points of the hammering, the copper beneath shows through in warm patches, which is what silver plate over copper does and what most of the trade polishes away.
The base is covered in a soft pad carrying the maker's label: Eales of Sheffield, since 1779, silver plate and crystal, Sheffield England.
History & Provenance
The label is worth reading carefully, because it says less about age than it appears to. Sheffield plate proper, copper fused between sheets of silver, was invented by Thomas Boulsover in the 1740s and made the city's name, and firms trading in silver plate have borrowed dates from that era as a badge of descent ever since. Eales of Sheffield is one of them.
The brand belongs to the Leonard Silver Manufacturing Company, established in Boston in 1969 by Leonard Florence, who went on to acquire Towle Manufacturing and build Syratech; Leonard became a Towle subsidiary in 1977. So 1779 is a lineage claim rather than a date of manufacture, and the real floor for anything carrying the Eales mark is 1969. Later Eales pieces turn up marked Italy, which points this one, marked Sheffield England, toward the earlier part of the run.
Two further things the label overstates. The glass is pressed rather than cut, which you can read in the softened edges of the blocks and the mould lines running the height of the body, so crystal is a trade description rather than a technical one. And the sleeve is plated, not solid, as the copper showing through the wear makes plain. None of that is unusual for the period. It simply means the piece should be described for what it is.
Product Details
| Era | c. 1969–1985. The floor is documentary: Eales of Sheffield is a brand of the Leonard Silver Manufacturing Company, founded in Boston in 1969, so no piece bearing this label predates that year. The 1779 printed on the label refers to the Sheffield plate tradition the name invokes, not to this decanter. The Sheffield England attribution supports the earlier part of the range, later Eales wares being marked Italy |
| Maker | Eales of Sheffield, a brand of Leonard Silver Manufacturing Co. |
| Materials | Pressed glass with a hammered silver plate sleeve over copper, pierced and scalloped borders folded over the glass |
| Stopper | Present and original, pressed ball form with a cut star to the crown, seats correctly |
| Marks | Printed paper label to the padded base reading Eales of Sheffield, since 1779, silver plate and crystal, Sheffield England |
| Dimensions | Approximately 11 in. high by 4.5 in. diameter |
| Condition | Very good and complete. Glass sound throughout with no chips, cracks or bruising found to the body, lip or stopper. Plate worn on the crowns of the hammering with copper showing through in warm patches, and light tarnish in the recesses. Pierced borders intact all round. Base pad and label present, the label rubbed but fully legible |
Why It Belongs in Your Home
A decanter earns its place by being handled, and this one is built for it: the hammered sleeve gives the hand something to hold and the weight sits low, so it pours without drama. On a bar cart or a library table the planished surface does the work, breaking light into a hundred small facets instead of throwing one hard reflection the way cut glass does. The copper coming through the silver is the part worth keeping. It is the record of the piece being used rather than displayed, and no amount of polishing will put it back.
Every piece is packed with professional-grade materials: multiple foam layers, double-boxing, directional and fragile handling labels. For large furniture we use custom timber crating. We photograph packing before dispatch and can provide images on request.
White-glove delivery is complimentary within 100 miles of Reno, NV. National shipping quotes provided at checkout. All shipments are photographed and documented. Damage claims must be filed with the carrier; we provide all documentation needed to support your claim.
Local pickup is available at Viridian HQ (Reno, NV) with 2–4 days notice. Contact us to arrange. Private viewings also available.
All antique and vintage items are sold as described and all sales are final. Each listing includes detailed condition notes and photographs so you can make a fully informed decision. We encourage buyers to ask questions — about condition, dimensions, finish, provenance — before purchasing.
Antiques are irreplaceable and one-of-a-kind. Carrier handling is outside our control once a piece has left our facility, and major carriers including FedEx do not insure antiques. We do everything within our power to ensure safe transit, but cannot accept liability for carrier damage. If damage occurs in transit, we will provide full documentation to support your carrier claim.
Have a question? — we're happy to provide additional photos, condition detail, or discuss the piece directly.
