Antique silver-plated spirit kettle by Barker Brothers, Unity Works, Birmingham

Spirit kettle by the Barker Brothers, silversmiths and silver-plate manufacturers at the Unity Works in Birmingham. Spirit kettles can be dated back to the 17th century and while their popularity has waxed and waned, they have generally been associated with high society of the Victorian era. This offering is silver-plated brass with an ebonised wooden handle, in a particularly clean and uncluttered design style. There is wear noted to the silver-plate on the upper surface of the kettle and the kettle support frame shows marked deformation and staining to the silver-plate. I suggest that part of the reason for the surface damage to the support frame arises from the burner itself – as presented it has no wick or method giving a controlled burn if used as shown. The metal cap that is shown covering the burner outlet in the images is not a perfect fit but does seem to have been used to snuff out the flames.

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