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Alms Dish

1884 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

In Victorian Britain the applications of brass were almost endless; with physical qualities of toughness, hardness and colour that varied according to the zinc content of the alloy, brass was extremely versatile and inexpensive. The uses ranged from utility to ornament – from engineers’ grease cups to hearth furniture and tableware.

This dish would have been used in a church, for collecting money from the congregation during the service. Its design is derived from 16th-century south German prototypes.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Brass, with repoussé
Brief description
Brass alms dish, decorated with foliage and a monogram, and the inscription All things come of Thee and of Thine own have me given Thee, English, 1884
Physical description
The centre is repoussé with intertwined foliage enclosing the sacred monogram and surrounded with the inscription: All things come of Thee and of Thine own have me given Thee. The rim is filled with a border of foliage.
Dimensions
  • Across front of the dish diameter: 39cm
  • Base to rim of dish depth: 4cm
Marks and inscriptions
All things come of Thee and of Thine own have me given Thee (Inscription; decoration; 1884)
Production
Designed by W.H. and E.R. Singer and manufactured by Singer and Sons, Frome, 1884.
Subjects depicted
Summary
In Victorian Britain the applications of brass were almost endless; with physical qualities of toughness, hardness and colour that varied according to the zinc content of the alloy, brass was extremely versatile and inexpensive. The uses ranged from utility to ornament – from engineers’ grease cups to hearth furniture and tableware.

This dish would have been used in a church, for collecting money from the congregation during the service. Its design is derived from 16th-century south German prototypes.
Bibliographic reference
Eatwell, Ann, "Ambition & Plagiarism?: Unpicking the Design and Manufacture of an Unmarked 19th-Century Ornamental Brass Dish", The Journal of the Antique Metalware Society, Vol. 19, June 2011, pp. 2-17, ill. p. 12
Collection
Accession number
99-1885

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Record createdFebruary 11, 2004
Record URL
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