Antique Victorian Sterling Silver Castle-Top Vinaigrette Crystal Palace

A fine antique Victorian silver Castle-top vinaigrette, has a waisted bag form, chased foliate scroll decoration on a matted background, the hinged cover with a view of the Crystal Palace great exhibition 1851 the fine silver gilt interior with a pierced and engraved foliate grille, with a chain and ring attachment.

" The Great Exhibition of 1851 was held in London inside an enormous structure of iron and glass known as the Crystal Palace. In five months, from May to October 1851, six million visitors thronged the gigantic trade show, marvelling over the latest technology as well as displays of artefacts from around the world.

The stunning display of inventions, works of art, and objects collected in distant lands was something of a precursor of a World's Fair. In fact, some newspapers referred to it as such. And it had a definite purpose: the rulers of Britain intended to show the world that technology was bringing uplifting changes to society and Britain was leading the race into the future.

The idea of the Great Exhibition originated with Henry Cole, an artist, and inventor. But the man who ensured the event happened in spectacular fashion was Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria.

Albert recognized the value of organizing a massive trade show that would place Britain at the forefront of technology by displaying its latest inventions, everything from massive steam engines to the latest cameras. Other nations were invited to participate, and the official name of the show was The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations.

The building to house the exhibit, which was quickly dubbed the Crystal Palace, was constructed of prefabricated cast iron and panes of plate glass. Designed by architect Joseph Paxton, the building itself was a marvel.

The Crystal Palace was 1,848 feet long and 454 feet wide and covered 19 acres of London's Hyde Park. Some of the park's stately trees were too big to move, so the enormous building simply enclosed them.

Nothing like the Crystal Palace had ever been built, and skeptics predicted that wind or vibration would cause the colossal structure to collapse.

Prince Albert, exercising his royal privilege, had detachments of soldiers march through the various galleries before the exhibit opened. No panes of glass broke loose as the soldiers marched about in lockstep. The building was deemed safe for the public."

Maker: John Tongue

Date: 1851

Origin: UK

Dimensions: 0.90 Inch (H) 1.30 Inch (W) 0.50 Inch (D)

Weight: 18.5 Grams