Mastery of Design: A Silver Vase and Stand, 1852-9

Silver Vase and
Stand
1852-1859
The Royal Collection

This silver vase and stand is the only surviving member of a pair commissioned by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The Queen and her consort shared a love of Italian Renaissance style and commissioned several monumental silver pieces in designs reminiscent of the Renaissance.


This vase was created in 1852 by Victoria from the goldsmiths Hunt & Roskell, Ltd. Curiously, though the vase is visible in paintings from 1852, it was not hallmarked until 1854. The stand is a later creation—being fashioned for Queen Victoria’s birthday in 1859. This vase with its intricate chasing and sculpting shows scenes of Venus and Apollo. While this model is purely silver, the Prince’s companion vase was inlaid with precious stones.