Silver and Glass Double Inkwell & Tray by Parsons Brothers for Tessier London

A beautiful double inkwell desk set by Parsons Brothers for Tessier of London. This silver and glass set features two square cut glass inkwells, atop a beautiful ornate silver desk tray. The tray features serpent scroll handles and wells for two pens. Four feet with a scroll design on each side are underneath. The glass inkwells are removable and are topped with round silver caps with rope detail that open and close. Throughout the piece are numerous silver markings which helped us date and identify the piece.

At the bottom of the tray:
The bottom of the tray is marked with “Tessiers Ltd, London”
A shield with the letters APFP
A rectangular stamp with a lion facing to the left
A square with a Tiger Head
A Square with a capital A (A refers to the year of certification which we believe to be 1849)
A small hand engraving with 48/6, N/W/X/- (Many times when a silver piece was cleaned or worked on, it was signed by the craftsman who performed the cleaning. It is believed that this is what the hand engraving is referring to.)

Around the base which holds each inkwell on top of the tray:
A shield with APFP
A rectangular stamp with a lion facing to the left
A square with a Tiger Head

Around the Rim of each inkwell:
A shield with the letters APFP
A rectangular stamp with a lion facing to the left
A square with a Tiger Head
A Square with a capital A

Stamped under the cap of each inkwell:
A shield with the letters APFP
A rectangular stamp with a lion facing to the left
A square with a Tiger Head

Silver Stamp Symbols and Meanings:
The Lion’s Head: This is the town mark, corresponding to the hallmark of the Assay Office which verified the piece.
Lion Guardant or Britannia is a certification of the silver quality.
AP FP: This is the maker’s mark, identifying the silversmith presenting the piece to the assay.

Dimensions:
11.5″ Wide
6.5″ Deep
3.5″ Tall