ANTIQUE SILVER ECCLESIASTICAL
Antique Silver ecclesiastical Description:
Silver items made for religious organisations such as the Roman Catholic church, Church of England, or the Jewish synagogue.
Antique Silver ecclesiastical History:
We only sell ecclesiastical pieces made for the Christian & Jewish faiths, so these items have been made for over a thousand years. But the vast majority are from the last few hundred years and items are still being made in silver today.
Antique Silver ecclesiastical Design:
Many different items were made in silver including candlesticks, chalices, flagons, patens, altar serving pieces, communion pieces, pieces made for various religious festivals, and unusual pieces made for specific reasons such as monstrances and incense burners. All of these items were hand-made and were often specially ordered and based on specific designs passed down through centuries of worship. It is only really in the 20th century that we have seen designs vary significantly from the accepted norm, such as high altar items made for the Church of England during the 1960s.
Antique Silver ecclesiastical Collectors Note:
All British made items must be hallmarked and any removable pieces must also be marked. Early pieces from before the 18th century are now quite rare and we would advise consultation with a specialist such as ourselves before purchasing. Many of the larger services made for the more important churches have been split up over the years, so it is very rare now to find, for example, an original full altar Roman Catholic communion set.