My, What Beautiful Legs You Have!
This beautiful English Style Liberty (Art Nouveau) milk jug was made by silversmiths George Nathan and Ridley Hayes in Chester in 1903. Very elegantly designed, it has a decorative edge, a sweeping Art Nouveau handle and three small legs with hoof like feet.
The theme for “Smile on Saturday” for the 18th of November is “objects with legs”, where I can photograph anything that has legs, but is not a living being, nor a doll, stuffed toy, little figure, figurine or statue. I immediately thought of this beautiful sterling silver milk jug, which belonged to my Great Grandparents, which now sits on my dining room mantlepiece, and which I sometimes use for formal dinner parties and at Christmas and New Year. It was part of a very fashionable Style Liberty (the English version of Art Nouveau – also known as the English Arts and Crafts Movement) six piece tea and coffee set that my Great Grandfather bought my Great Grandmother from George Nathan and Ridley Hayes Hatton Gardens premises in London in 1904. The set was sent at some stage between the two World Wars from their London house to their Manchester house. The Manchester house was hit by a bomb during what became known as the “Christmas Blitz” on the 23rd of December, 1940. Many of my Great Grandparents’ belongings in the house were destroyed by the German bomber’s strike, but incredibly, many items survived the hit, including beautiful pieces of fine porcelain, books, photos, paintings and pieces of family silver. Sadly, the rest of this set was lost in the rubble, but my Great Grandparents’ housekeeper retrieved this milk jug amongst other items. My Great Grandparents were spending Christmas 1940 in Sussex, and were not at all in danger, but went up to Manchester as soon as they could arrange it after Christmas. Their housekeeper presented them with this jug amongst the items salvaged from their Manchester home, and, when they died, it was passed to my Grandmother, who in turn bequeathed it to me. I hope you like this pretty footed milk jug with its stylish legs, and that it makes you smile.
George Nathan and Ridley Hayes were silversmiths who entered their first joint mark in 1897 in Birmingham. They were particularly known for their Style Liberty interpretation of early English silver - producing tea sets and caddies, bowls, baskets and desk sets. They traded under the name Nathan & Hayes and had premises in both Birmingham and Hatton Gardens in London. Hayes ceased to appear in records in 1912, but the firm continued trading as Nathan & Hayes. They were bought by S. Blanckensee & Sons.
My, What Beautiful Legs You Have!
This beautiful English Style Liberty (Art Nouveau) milk jug was made by silversmiths George Nathan and Ridley Hayes in Chester in 1903. Very elegantly designed, it has a decorative edge, a sweeping Art Nouveau handle and three small legs with hoof like feet.
The theme for “Smile on Saturday” for the 18th of November is “objects with legs”, where I can photograph anything that has legs, but is not a living being, nor a doll, stuffed toy, little figure, figurine or statue. I immediately thought of this beautiful sterling silver milk jug, which belonged to my Great Grandparents, which now sits on my dining room mantlepiece, and which I sometimes use for formal dinner parties and at Christmas and New Year. It was part of a very fashionable Style Liberty (the English version of Art Nouveau – also known as the English Arts and Crafts Movement) six piece tea and coffee set that my Great Grandfather bought my Great Grandmother from George Nathan and Ridley Hayes Hatton Gardens premises in London in 1904. The set was sent at some stage between the two World Wars from their London house to their Manchester house. The Manchester house was hit by a bomb during what became known as the “Christmas Blitz” on the 23rd of December, 1940. Many of my Great Grandparents’ belongings in the house were destroyed by the German bomber’s strike, but incredibly, many items survived the hit, including beautiful pieces of fine porcelain, books, photos, paintings and pieces of family silver. Sadly, the rest of this set was lost in the rubble, but my Great Grandparents’ housekeeper retrieved this milk jug amongst other items. My Great Grandparents were spending Christmas 1940 in Sussex, and were not at all in danger, but went up to Manchester as soon as they could arrange it after Christmas. Their housekeeper presented them with this jug amongst the items salvaged from their Manchester home, and, when they died, it was passed to my Grandmother, who in turn bequeathed it to me. I hope you like this pretty footed milk jug with its stylish legs, and that it makes you smile.
George Nathan and Ridley Hayes were silversmiths who entered their first joint mark in 1897 in Birmingham. They were particularly known for their Style Liberty interpretation of early English silver - producing tea sets and caddies, bowls, baskets and desk sets. They traded under the name Nathan & Hayes and had premises in both Birmingham and Hatton Gardens in London. Hayes ceased to appear in records in 1912, but the firm continued trading as Nathan & Hayes. They were bought by S. Blanckensee & Sons.