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ID #SA1230671
FOR SALE
£195
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Art Deco Silver & Guilloche Enamel Letter Opener by the Barker Brothers, Birmingham 1932
For sale by Julie Cartwright Antiques
for sale €228     $248
£195
Julie Cartwright Antiques

Julie Cartwright Antiques

Sellingantiques Verified Since Jun 2009
Browse dealers 127 items
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Id #SA1230671
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Art Deco Silver & Guilloche Enamel Letter Opener by the Barker Brothers, Birmingham 1932

1920 - 1940
Description

This is a small and very pretty solid silver and guilloche enamel letter opener or paper knife. The handle with pink engine-turned enamel on the front. The back with engine turned decorations. Mounted with a reeded ferrule and a fully hallmarked solid silver blade.

Hallmarks:

B.BS Ld for the Barker Brothers Silver Ltd.

Date letter "H" for 1932.

Lion Passant.

Birmingham Assay Mark.

Condition:

Very good.

Dimensions:

Length: 17cm / 6.4 inches.

Maximum width: 2cm / 0.6 inches.

Delivery:

PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO ADD POSTAGE AT CHECKOUT.

UK: £5.00 Royal Mail tracked 24.

Postage overseas: £20.00 International Signed For.

Postage USA (including US import duties): £40.00

You can pay by PayPal, bank transfer, cheque, debit or credit card.

To pay by PAYPAL please add P&P and click on button below.

To pay by credit or debit card over the phone or by cheque, please contact me on 01449 760 585

Physical Dimensions
Height
17cm (6.69")
Width
2cm (0.79")
Depth
1.5cm (0.59")
Declaration

Julie Cartwright Antiques has dated this Art Deco Silver Letter Opener to the 1930s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1230671
Dealers Internal Reference
AOUT86
Description
This is a small and very pretty solid silver and guilloche enamel letter opener or paper knife. The handle with pink engine-turned enamel on the front. The back with engine turned decorations. Mounted with a reeded ferrule and a fully hallmarked solid silver blade.
fig 1. An Art Deco sterling silver letter opener featuring a tapered blade with English hallmarks and a pink guilloche enamel handle.
fig 1. Art Deco Silver & Guilloche Enamel Letter Opener by the Barker Brothers, Birmingham 1932

Hallmarks:

B.BS Ld for the Barker Brothers Silver Ltd.

Date letter "H" for 1932.

Lion Passant.

Birmingham Assay Mark.

Condition:

Very good.

Dimensions:

Length: 17cm / 6.4 inches.

Maximum width: 2cm / 0.6 inches.

fig 2. An Art Deco sterling silver letter opener featuring a tapered blade with English hallmarks and a pink guilloche enamel handle.
fig 2. Art Deco Silver & Guilloche Enamel Letter Opener by the Barker Brothers, Birmingham 1932

Delivery:

PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO ADD POSTAGE AT CHECKOUT.

UK: £5.00 Royal Mail tracked 24.

Postage overseas: £20.00 International Signed For.

Postage USA (including US import duties): £40.00

You can pay by PayPal, bank transfer, cheque, debit or credit card.

To pay by PAYPAL please add P&P and click on button below.

To pay by credit or debit card over the phone or by cheque, please contact me on 01449 760 585

Height
17cm (6.69")
Width
2cm (0.79")
Depth
1.5cm (0.59")
Date of Manufacture

Julie Cartwright Antiques has dated this Art Deco Silver Letter Opener to the 1930s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1230671
Dealers Internal Ref
AOUT86
Julie Cartwright Antiques
Julie Cartwright Antiques
Sellingantiques verified Since Jun 2009
Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Julie Cartwright Antiques Profile Page

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An Art Deco sterling silver letter opener featuring a tapered blade with English hallmarks and a pink guilloche enamel handle.
1 / 9
Archive I An Art Deco sterling silver letter opener featuring a tapered blade with English hallmarks and a pink guilloche enamel handle.

Art Deco Silver & Guilloche Enamel Letter Opener by the Barker Brothers, Birmingham 1932

Archive II An Art Deco sterling silver letter opener featuring a tapered blade with English hallmarks and a pink guilloche enamel handle. View II
Archive III An Art Deco sterling silver letter opener featuring a tapered blade with English hallmarks and a pink guilloche enamel handle. View III
Archive IV An Art Deco sterling silver letter opener featuring a tapered blade with English hallmarks and a pink guilloche enamel handle. View IV
Archive V An Art Deco sterling silver letter opener featuring a tapered blade with English hallmarks and a pink guilloche enamel handle. View V
Archive VI An Art Deco sterling silver letter opener featuring a tapered blade with English hallmarks and a pink guilloche enamel handle. View VI
Archive VII An Art Deco sterling silver letter opener featuring a tapered blade with English hallmarks and a pink guilloche enamel handle. View VII
Archive VIII An Art Deco sterling silver letter opener featuring a tapered blade with English hallmarks and a pink guilloche enamel handle. View VIII
Archive IX An Art Deco sterling silver letter opener featuring a tapered blade with English hallmarks and a pink guilloche enamel handle. View IX
Enlarged Archival View
Julie Cartwright Antiques

Julie Cartwright Antiques
Telephone 07947 998435
Location
Suffolk
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/jc
Verified Since Jun 2009
Items For Sale 127
Items Sold 2,213
Julie Cartwright Antiques
Julie Cartwright Antiques
Verified Since Jun 2009
View Dealer Info
Location: Suffolk, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/jc
Verified
Jun 2009
For Sale
127
Sold
2,213
An Art Deco sterling silver letter opener featuring a tapered blade with English hallmarks and a pink guilloche enamel handle.
ART DECO SILVER & GUILLOCHE ENAMEL LETTER OPENER BY THE BARKER BROTHERS, BIRMINGHAM 1932
Ref: SA1230671
An Art Deco sterling silver letter opener featuring a tapered blade with English hallmarks and a pink guilloche enamel handle.
Detail View 1
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Detail View 3
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Archival Detail

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectLetter Openers
  • Period1920 - 1940
  • StyleArt Deco
  • MaterialSterling Silver, Enamel
  • ColourSilver, Pink
  • MotifsEngine-turned guilloche enamel, Tapered silver blade, Stepped collar detail, Assay hallmarks
  • SizeH 17 cm (7 in) x W 2 cm (1 in) x D 1.5 cm (1 in)

This solid silver and guilloche enamel letter opener stems from the 1930 Art Deco period, produced by the Barker Brothers Silver Ltd in Birmingham. The object combines a polished sterling silver blade with a pastel pink handle featuring engine-turned guilloche decoration. Assay hallmarks are stamped directly onto the blade surface, alongside a reeded ferrule and stepped collar detail connecting the handle to the sharp edge. The overall form employs clean lines and a tapered silhouette typical of early twentieth-century design. Measuring 17 cm high, 2 cm wide, and 1.5 cm deep, the piece functions as a practical accessory on an executive office desk or library table. Daily tasks involving mail correspondence, parcels, and book pages provide a natural setting for its use in a contemporary home. The combination of metallic sheen and pastel pink enamel brings a subtle touch of mid-century British craftsmanship to a study workspace, combining decorative appeal with everyday utility.

FAQs

Art Deco silver desk accessories from the 1920s and 1930s feature clean geometric lines, streamlined forms, and decorative embellishments such as engine-turned guilloche enamelling.

These items were crafted from sterling silver, with intricate geometric patterns carved into the metal handle using a rose-engine lathe before layers of translucent coloured enamel were fused over the top.

Authenticity is verified through official assay office hallmarks stamped into the silver blade or handle, which indicate the silver purity mark, the assay town mark, the date letter, and the makers initials.

An antique letter opener can be placed on an executive office desk, styled atop a stack of books on a console table, or arranged within a decorative brass tray as a tactile styling object.

Silver sections should be gently polished with a soft microfiber cloth and specialised silver cream, avoiding the enamel areas to prevent scratching or chemical degradation of the glass glaze.
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