Two silver monteiths punched above their weight at Hansons Auctioneers ‘Super Sunday’ sale at its Staffordshire saleroom at Bishton Hall in Wolseley Bridge.
The first bowl, dated 1890, sold for £4,400 – almost double its guide price of £2,300 while the other, dated 1908, fetched £1,800 – tripling its low estimate of £600.
The high prices, say experts, might reflect a return to theatrical dining and country-house style decoration.
Auctioneer, Charles Hanson, said: “These Edwardian beauties were both sculptural and usable. A decade ago many large silver bowls, monteiths and punch bowls struggled unless they were exceptional makers. Now they’re appearing on kitchen islands, in champagne displays and even as a part of grand floral arrangements.
“Large Victorian or Edwardian pieces like these have a real craftsmanship and history behind them.”
While a punch bowl has a broad and open design, a monteith is a more specialised form of bowl, developed in the late 17th century, and distinguished by its scalloped rim.
The notches allowed wine glasses to hang upside down in iced water so they could be cooled before use.
The monteith which sold for £4,400 at the sale on May 31 was made by the London silversmith Charles Stuart Harris, whose career flourished between 1850 and 1900, during which his designs moved away from silverware into salvers, tea trays and punch bowls.
It had been acquired by the vendor’s father at a Cornish estate sale of Fowey Hall the home Sir Charles Edwin Bourne Hanson after he died in 1958.
Charles Hanson said: “Our names are the same, although Sir Charles Edwin Bourne Hanson (1874–1958) was a British major and stockbroker who went on to became Lord Lieutenant of The City of London and later High Sheriff of Cornwall.”
The second bowl top seller from the sale was made by the renowned silversmith James Deakin & Sons, Sheffield, and dated1908.
An inscription reveals it was presented to the Reverend WA Kerr and his wife to commemorate their 25th wedding anniversary in 1909.
The term monteith is believed to be derived from a Scottish gentleman named Monsieur Monteigh, who wore a cloak with a distinctive “u” shape at the bottom.
Many Monteiths feature a detachable rim. When the notched rim was removed, the Monteith functioned exactly like a regular punch bowl, allowing for maximum versatility.
Monteiths fell out of fashion by about 1720 and were rarely made after 1725 but became fashionable again in Victorian times as part of a revival of Georgian silver.
Auction Details
Auction: The Bishton Hall Super Sunday Auction
Auction date: 31st May 2026 | 11am
Location: Hansons’ Staffordshire Saleroom
Auction contact: [email protected]
Catalogue/bidding: www.hansonslive.co.uk | www.the-saleroom.com
