Deykin & Sons Chinoiserie Biscuit Box

A beautifully elaborate late Victorian biscuit barrel by Deykin & Sons of Birmingham, England, known for their finely decorated electroplated hollowware. The oval barrel and matching base tray are decorated with an engraved waterside scene of storks or cranes among reeds, trees, and water, including one bird with a fish. Cast lion-mask handles with suspended ring pulls flank the body, while the domed lid is finished with foliate engraving and a wheat-sheaf finial.

The underside bears the distinctive Deykin & Sons maker’s mark, including their trademark depicting a figure in a Venetian gondola, along with the manufacturer's markings and pattern number 6484. The gondola was a particularly recognizable Deykin trademark, reflecting the firm's association with its Venetian Works in Birmingham. Deykin & Sons produced electroplated wares from 1854 until 1895, when the firm became Deykin & Harrison.

The combination of elaborate naturalistic engraving, figural lion-mask mounts, and the wheat-sheaf finial is characteristic of the ornate Victorian taste for specialized tableware. Comparable Deykin & Sons pieces with elaborate decoration date to the latter 19th century, making a late Victorian date of circa 1870–1890 appropriate for this example, although the maker's mark itself establishes the broader 1854–1895 period.

A wonderful piece for displaying on a dining table, sideboard, or bar cart, particularly alongside other antique silver plate, transferware, or glassware. The unusual landscape engraving and lion-mask handles make it decorative enough to stand on its own even when not in use.

Origin: c. 1870-1890; Birmingham, England
Material: Electroplated metal
Dimensions: 
Condition: Good antique condition with significant wear to the silver plate, including areas where the underlying metal is visible, along with interior wear and age-related patina.