The handles chased as stylized branches and applied with monogram S, comprising:
Twenty-three tablespoons
Twenty-four dessert spoons
Twenty-one coffee spoons
Eight demitasse spoons
Twenty-four dinner forks
Twenty-four luncheon forks
Twenty-four fish forks
Forty-six oyster forks
Thirty dinner knives
Forty-seven luncheon knives, in two sizes
Twenty-four fish knives
Five fruit knives
A master butter knife
A mustard pot and spoon with blue glass liner
Two casters
Four salt cellars with blue glass liners
An eagle form menu holder;
Together with a pastry server in a different pattern, mark of Omar Ramsden, London, 1931
388 oz. 2 dwt. (12,070 gr.) weighable silver

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Lot Essay

Omar Ramsden (1873 - 1939) was born and trained in Sheffield, the heart of the silver and flatware trade for the north of England. He was born into a family with ties to the silver trade, and as early as 1887 was working as an apprentice to a firm of silversmiths there. While the training that he received during that apprenticeship no doubt helped him to be a skillful businessman, it was his evening classes at the Sheffield School of Art which first gave him the taste for design. It was also there that he met Alywn Carr (1872 - 1940) who would become his friend, as well as business partner from 1898 to 1919. The combination of his knowledge of manufacturing techniques and both his and Carr's innovative and timeless designs allowed Ramsden to turn his workshop St. Dunstan's in Fulham, West London, into a very successful business.
An extensive collection of works by Ramsden, both as a solo designer and with Carr, were sold from the David and Vivian Campbell Collection, Christie's, London, 20 April 2005. A flatware service in an identical pattern also applied with monogram S was sold at Christie's, London, 12 June 2006, lot 45.

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Condition report

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The condition of lots can vary widely and the nature of the lots sold means that they are unlikely to be in a perfect condition. Lots are sold in the condition they are in at the time of sale.

Overall with some scuffs and scratches consistent with age, use, and storage. Please see below for further condition and marks.

The spoons all with some minor wear to edges of the bowls, a few with some very minor salt stains to bowls, one demitasse spoon with a minor nick to the edge of the bowl.
Tablespoons: 21 mark of Omar Ramsden dated 1935, 2 maker's mark GH in an oval dated 1953
Dessert spoons: All mark of Omar Ramsden, 12 dated 1932, 12 dated 1935
Coffee spoons: 17 mark of Omar Ramsden, 1 dated 1929 and stamped CLAREMONT on the handle, 16 dated 1935, 4 maker's mark GH in an oval, 3 dated 1953, 1 dated 1954
Demitasse spoons: All mark of Omar Ramsden dated 1932

The dinner and luncheon forks with some wear to end tines, some tines not perfectly straight and even and with some end tines slightly pushed into center, some minor bends to tines, and some minor wear to tips. The fish forks with hollow handles and silver tines, some wear to end times, some tips worn and a few sharp, one hooked, all but four with tines slightly separated from handles revealing internal pitch and some excess solder, though only one actually loose, one with tines completely separate from handle, though both parts retained. The oyster forks with some wear to end tines and some end tines pushed in towards center, some tines not perfectly straight and even, some wear to tips and some slightly sharp or hooked, one lacking the tip of the left end tine, another lacking the tip of the center tine.
Dinner forks: 22 mark of Omar Ramsden dated 1935, 2 maker's mark GH in an oval dated 1953
Luncheon forks: All mark of Omar Ramsden, 13 dated 1932, 11 dated 1935
Fish forks: All mark of Omar Ramsden, all handles dated 1929, 22 tines dated 1929, 1 dated 1938, one Dutch, maker's mark R between stars, s'Gravenhage, 1954
Oyster forks: All mark of Omar Ramsden dated 1935

The knives all with hollow handles, the dinner, luncheon, and fruit knives with steel blades, the fish knives with silver blades, as noted the luncheon knives with 12 in one size and 35 slightly smaller, the dinner, fruit, and slightly larger luncheon knives with blades marked OMAR RAMDSDEN / Artist Goldsmith / London, England, the smaller luncheon knives with unmarked blades. The dinner, luncheon, and fruit knives with some minor scratches to the blades, and a few with some very minor nicks to the edges. The fish knives all with blades slightly separated from the handles to different degrees revealing pitch and some excess solder, though mostly all secure, only four slightly loose though still secure, one with the handle completely separated from the blade, though both parts retained.
Dinner knives: All mark of Omar Ramsden, 24 dated 1929, 6 dated 1932
Luncheon knives: All mark of Omar Ramsden, the 12 larger all dated 1929, the 35 smaller all dated 1935
Fish knives: All mark of Omar Ramsden, 11 dated 1929, 11 dated 1932, 1 dated 1937, 1 dated 1938
Fruit knives: All mark of Omar Ramsden dated 1935

The blue glass liners for the mustard pot and salt cellars with some minor scratches and very tiny 'nibbles' to the edges, the casters with some minor residue to interiors, the salt cellars with some minor salt stains.
Master butter knife: Mark of Omar Ramsden dated 1931
Mustard pot and spoon: Mark of Omar Ramsden dated 1935
Casters: Mark of Omar Ramsden dated 1935, further engraved OMAR RAMSDEN ME FECIT
salt cellars: Mark of Omar Ramsden dated 1935, further engraved OMAR RAMSDEN ME FECIT
Menu holder: Mark of Omar Ramsden dated 1935, further engraved OMAR RAMSDEN ME FECIT
Pastry server: Mark of Omar Ramsden dated 1931, further engraved OMAR RAMSDEN ME FECIT

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