Why are so many sold in pairs?

Pairs were the normal way these were made and used, and the archive reflects it: 219 of 482 titles are pairs. Sets of four recur often enough to be a recognised format, and there is a garniture of three, plus epergnes carrying four and seven vases apiece.

What period do most of them come from?

Late Victorian through George V accounts for the great majority. Edwardian appears in 145 listings, the 1910s in 90 and Victorian in 86. The dealers' dating stretches from 1750 to 1960, but the 1920s and 1930s tail off sharply and later decades barely register. Georgian silver vases are barely represented.

Which assay towns turn up in the titles?

Birmingham and Chester lead, with 24 titles and 22, and Chester being that close to Birmingham is unusual for a silver category. London and Sheffield follow. Dublin, Glasgow and Belfast surface only once or twice across the whole archive.

How big are these vases usually?

Where a height is quoted in the title it generally falls between four and a half and eight inches, so these are table and dressing-table objects rather than floor pieces. Only a couple reach ten to twelve inches. Large appears in 38 titles against small in nine, and the taller ones sit well above the small posy vases in price.

Are silver plated examples common in this category?

Plated appears in 29 titles across the archive, a small share of what has sold. Current stock is different: plate and electroplate make up a far larger part of what is listed now than of what has gone before.

What unusual forms show up?

The odd ones include a lapel or boutonnière vase for buttonhole flowers, a shoe vase, and a ring tree fitted with a tiny trumpet vase. A pair of novelty bear spill vases with glass eyes, a cornucopia vase and a pair in Connemara marble have also passed through Sellingantiques.

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Antique Silver Vases

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Small hallmarked flower-holders in silver, made for cut stems on dining and dressing tables: posy, bud, stem, trumpet and spill shapes, often bought and sold in pairs.