Vintage Christening Gift
A vintage christening gift is a traditional keepsake in sterling silver, ranging from baby rattles with mother of pearl to mugs and boxed sets.
Vintage Christening Gift
When you search for a vintage christening gift, you encounter pieces designed to mark an infant's naming ceremony or birth. These items span periods from the Georgian era through to the mid-century, including Victorian and Edwardian examples.
The most common forms on this page are christening mugs, tankards, and baby rattles. You also find boxed cutlery sets, napkin rings, and porringers intended for a child's early use.
Makers often fashioned these objects in sterling silver, sometimes pairing them with materials like mother of pearl, coral, velvet, or silk lining inside presentation boxes.
What varies in quality
The distinction between standard items and finer pieces lies in the weight of the silver and the crispness of the chasing or engraving. George IV, Victorian, and later pieces show varying depths of repoussé work and clarity of assay office marks.
Presentation adds another layer, where surviving original boxes lined in silk and velvet elevate the piece. The quality of supplementary materials like mother of pearl on rattles also shapes the overall standard.
Listings span multiple decades, incorporating Victorian, Edwardian, George V, and mid-century British periods in sterling silver.
R E Stone·Tiffany & Co·William Bateman
The Vintage Christening Gift Glossary
- Baluster form
- A vertical shape that swells towards the lower portion, commonly seen on silver christening mugs.
- Porringer
- A small, shallow bowl with one or two flat handles, often used as a child's bowl.
- Silver gilt
- Sterling silver that has been coated with a thin layer of gold on the surface.
- Rococo scroll handle
- An ornate, curving handle design characterised by asymmetrical shell and C-scroll motifs.
- Assay mark
- A stamp indicating the purity of the precious metal and the office where it was tested.
Vintage Christening Gift: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a traditional christening present?
Traditional choices include silver mugs, rattles, and cutlery sets. These were given by godparents to mark the occasion.
Many pieces bear inscriptions or monograms recording the child's birth date or name.
How do I identify a Victorian silver mug?
Victorian pieces often display hallmarks indicating the city of assay and the year of production. Stylistic clues include repoussé floral decoration and scroll handles.
Heavier examples usually date from the mid to late nineteenth century.
Were baby rattles always made of silver?
Silver formed the primary body of the rattle to hold the bells and provide durability. Makers combined this with mother of pearl or coral for the teething section.
These materials were chosen for their smooth texture against a baby's gums.
How should I store a boxed silver set?
Keep the items in their original fitted boxes away from direct sunlight and damp conditions. Velvet and silk linings require a dry environment to prevent degradation.
Handle the silver gently to preserve any original engraving.