This fantastic Victorian silver gilt carved emu egg was made in London in 1888 by D & J Welby. It measures 9.5 inches tall by 4.75 inches handle to handle and is just under 2.5 inches square at the pedestal base, the silver is gilded and has laurel leaves and acanthus leaf designs to the body and handle with a fluted gadroon design and wrythen finial to the top. It is fully hallmarked on the base and also to the top, the emu egg itself is spectacular, the carving and colouring is excellent and it would appear to have been done as a scene at dusk. It has 2 aboriginal figures out hunting, one with a club and a forked stick holding down a snake, the other with a boomerang and a spear. In the undergrowth there are also raised carvings of an emu, a crocodile, a crane and an owl sitting on a branch with bull rushes, grasses etc and the silhouette of the moon. The bottom third of the egg has been left its original colour of mottled brown and the top of the egg has a fringe of leaves hanging down. The work that went into this egg is amazing, the engraver was a little over zealous in one area and has gone through the egg to a lower level but it isn’t a hole. The condition is excellent, there is some minor wear to the gilding in places but nothing serious or distracting, altogether a most appealing and extremely rare piece. Please use “view sellers other items” button for more early sterling and early silver items and thanks for taking the time to look.

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