European Silver in the Collection of Her Majesty The Queen

The Royal Collection contains one of the finest ensembles of pre-twentieth-century European silver in the world. More than 350 works are catalogued in this volume, the majority being manufactured in France, Germany, Russia, and the Netherlands, with a smaller number of pieces from Italy, Spain, Portugal, Scandinavia, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. An introduction on the history of collecting European silver is followed by catalogue entries on silver objects used for dining; serving and drinking tea, coffee, and chocolate; personal grooming; as well as desk and accessories church plates. Highlights include unusual German kunstkammer, (cabinet of curiosity') objects acquired by George IV, when their collection came into fashion with nobility across Europe in the seventeenth century.