Description
Charles Francis Hall, a Britannia silver electroformed vase, London 1969, makers mark ‘CFH‘ for Charles Francis Hall, 16 cm high, 5 cm in diameter at widest point, 455 grams gross (Ref S373) SOLD
Charles Hall is a Cornwall based silversmith. We spoke regarding this vase and he informed me that the idea for this design was formulated one day whilst sat on Chapel Porth Beach in 1969, just prior to he and his wife moving down to Cornwall permanently. The waxes were carved in the back of his VW van parked up at Chapel Porth. The VW was his mobile workshop at the time. The inspiration was the water worn, weather beaten and barnacle encrusted rocks. His thought was if it was electroformed with the reverse side facing out it would render a rather interesting similar effect. He also told me that being electroformed it is in fact pure silver but the assay office at the time did not mark items ‘999’ purity, as they will do so now, so it was marked as the next best, Britannia standard, ‘958’. A pair of these vases were created and acquired by a collector. When the collector passed away one vase was sent to a relative in America and the other vase remained in the UK. No others were made then or since, making the pair unique.
