ROBERT GARRARD

Diameter: 14.5cm (5.75 in)

Height: 6.5cm (2.5 in)

This Victorian sterling silver wine coaster, crafted in London in 1840 by the celebrated silversmith Robert Garrard, is a fine example of early Victorian silverware, combining refined craftsmanship with practical elegance.

The coaster is of circular form with a beautifully shaped, undulating rim and an intricately pierced gallery decorated with flowing foliate scrolls and arabesque motifs in the Rococo Revival style, a fashionable design influence during the early years of Queen Victoria's reign. 

The sterling silver base is richly hand-engraved with scrolling acanthus and foliate ornament surrounding a central engraved crest or armorial. Unlike the more common wine coasters of the period, which often featured turned wooden bases, this example has a silver base, reflecting the superior quality associated with Garrard's work.

Produced in London in 1840, the coaster dates from the early Victorian period, when Robert Garrard was among Britain's foremost silversmiths. The Garrard firm enjoyed an unrivalled reputation for supplying silver to aristocratic households and was appointed Crown Jeweller by Queen Victoria just a few years later, in 1843.