What is a squirrel nut dish?

A squirrel nut dish is a Victorian or Edwardian figural serving vessel incorporating a cast squirrel motif beside or upon the bowl. These pieces held nuts for after-dinner socialising and combined novelty design with functional tableware.

How do I clean silver plate?

Silver plate requires gentle cleaning with a specialised non-abrasive silver polish and a soft cloth to protect the underlying metal layer. Avoid aggressive scrubbing that might wear through the thin silver coating over the base metal.

Are these dishes solid silver?

Many examples are silver plated over a base metal rather than made from solid sterling silver. Maker marks and hallmarks stamped on the base indicate whether the piece is solid silver or plated ware.

When were figural nut dishes made?

Figural squirrel nut dishes were predominantly produced during the Victorian and Edwardian periods around the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Later examples from the nineteen twenties and thirties tend toward geometric Art Deco bowls and plain sterling bonbon dishes.