Rare Ornate Atq Metal Basket Middletown Plate Co 1870-80's Crocodile Dragonfly

Description

Incredibly Rare! Intricate Art Metalwork Basket by Renowned Middletown Plate Co
Detailed Display of Crocodile, Dragonfly, Large Bird, Floral & More
Marked 1816 MIDDLETOWN PLATE CO QUADRUPLE PLATE HARD WHITE METAL
Definately a Bold Display Quality & Beyond Rare
Approx 10.25" L x 8.25" D x 4.25" H (11" w/Handle up)
Approx 3.5 lbs
Just Reduced!
Truly stunning work of art by renowned Metal Artisans of the Middletown Plate Co (est 1864-1898).  This was from a selective collector's estate sale.  We were drawn by the detailed work of the piece.  We believe it to be from the 1870's to 1880's based the serial number and on our experience with such items.  We have sold a number of Middletown Plate Co's works in the past and this is one of the nicest we have seen.  We could not find another one like it that still exists, or if others do exist, none have sold or been displayed in over 20 years.  The crocodile, dragonfly, bird, floral and scaled pattern to piece is complimented by more detail to rim and legs that really make this basket almost jump off the table at you.
We are not sure of the silver content (if any) involved in the making of the piece. Some informational websites (easily found by the way if you are curious) say 4 times as much silver is involved in quadruple plating, but we are not metallurgist and we have no idea. We are selling antique based on artistic value and rarity. It is marked as noted above, that is all we know.
We are guessing this is a general use basket of some type.  It could have been used to hold condiments, food, cards, or other.  They made some bridle baskets of this size, but it is not likely a bride would gone for a crocodile & swamp setting, but who knows. Middletown made hundreds of different products and it seems many were one of a kind or at least made in very limited numbers.  We sold a rare Griffin handled piece a few years back for several hundred dollars and never found another like it nor had its purchaser who was a selective collector.  Some of their artisans were almost without match in our opinion.  They made simple items as well, but the intricate ones like this are really amazing to behold.
The basket is very solid and has no visible damage or repairs other than some slight dents to upper edge of basket where the handle rests on either side.  The dents really do not effect the appeal of the item as can be seen in pictures, but we wanted to note them.
Middletown Plate Co was one of several metalwork and plating companies in or near Connecticut that merged in 1898 to form the International Silver Company which operated until 1983. The Meriden Britannia Co, Meriden Silver Plate Co, Simpson and Wilcox were among other companies involved in merge.
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