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Asprey Desk Set and Document Holder, English, circa 1875

About the Item

The Asprey Company is an iconic British luxury home goods maker, located in London, England and was established by William Asprey in 1781, They established their current residence in London on Bond Street between 1847 and 1859 after a couple of acquisitions. They were the Nieman-Marcus of the day and made only the finest products, utilizing the best quality materials; dealing in everything from jewelry to fashion, and appealing to those wanting to buy gifts for weddings, occasions, and events. This is a customized desk set, consisting of a crystal cut glass inkwell with a brass hinged lid, resting in a velvet lined well. Markings on the velvet lining under the inkwell indicate Asprey manufacture and Bond Street location “Asprey London, 166 Bond Street 22 Albemarle Street”. To the sides of the well are two Wedgwood cameos with the typical Greek mythology themed blue and white jasperware. Resting inside the recessed pen holder is a 14-karat gold nib pen marked “no. 3”, made by Aiken & Lambert, an American company (New York City) and manufacturer of fine quality gold fountain pens. Hand engraved brass mounts are applied to the surface, while the oval shaped inkwell and pen holder rests on three bun feet. The wood is an ebonized calamander (coromandel wood) which is a rare and valuable hardwood from Sri Lanka. Also included as part of the desk set is a hinged, fold over, double sided document holder with a blotter lined interior. The exterior of the document holder is also of calamander wood, with hand engraved brass mounts to the top surface. As with the desk inkwell and pen holder, the document holder has a Wedgwood blue and white jasperware cameo with a Greek mythology theme, applied in the center. Not certain whether or not the pen, an American item, went with the set or not, but it sure looks nice and is included regardless. The entire set is in excellent all original condition and dates from the Victorian era circa 1870s. It should be noted that in 1862 Queen Victoria awarded the Asprey Company "The Royal Warrant", a commendation award for excellence in their crafting of Fine quality dressing cases, traveling bags, and writing and desk sets. This is a rare, attractive, and unique item and would make a wonderful gift, or addition to a desk area decorating scheme. Dimensions: oval stand is 13 1/4” long x. 10” deep x 2” high (stand only); 5 1/2” overall with inkwell in place Document holder is 11 3/4" high x 8 3/8" wide x 1 1/4" high Inkwell is 4 1/4” high x 3 1/2” diameter.

Creator:

Asprey International Limited (Maker)

Dimensions:

Height: 8 in (20.32 cm)Width: 13.25 in (33.66 cm)Depth: 11.75 in (29.85 cm)

Style:

Victorian (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Brass,Cut Glass,Porcelain,Wood,Ebonized,Hand-Crafted

Place of Origin:

England

Period:

1870-1879

Date of Manufacture:

circa 1875

Condition:

Seller Location:

Incline Village, NV

Reference Number:

1stDibs: LU973213412641

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Shop All Asprey International Limited

Asprey International Limited

Favored for over two centuries by European royalty, movie stars, rock music legends and England’s elite, Asprey International Limited’s reputation for creating elegant, high-quality furniture, jewelry and decorative objects is without equal. The storied manufacturer’s motto — “It can be done” — exemplifies their approach to design, which has proven over time to be both dynamic and enduring. To this day, Asprey International Limited remains a go-to purveyor of luxury goods and bespoke design services.

The roots of Asprey International Limited can be traced all the way back to 1781 when it was founded by William Asprey in Mitcham, Surrey. The business moved to its revered modern location, 166 Bond Street, in 1847. The company’s highly accurate regulator clock, once displayed in the window of their flagship, became a frequent stop for Londoners wishing to reset their watches.

Asprey first gained renown for its manufacture of exquisitely engineered dressing cases, which were compact pieces of luggage that travelers would use to tote their cosmetics and toiletries. At the International Exhibition of 1862, the company received a gold medal for its excellent dressing-case designs and also earned a Royal Warrant from Queen Victoria for their manufacture. Upon his ascension to the throne, King Edward II introduced incredibly formal Buckingham Palace court presentations, balls and soirées, resulting in a huge demand for diamond jewels starting with his coronation in 1902. The court jewelers Asprey, Garrard, Carrington and the newly opened London branch of Cartier were all overwhelmed with orders for sumptuous diamond jewelry to be worn at the king’s elaborate coronation. Currently, Asprey International Limited holds a Royal Warrant from His Royal Majesty Charles, Prince of Wales, for jewelry and silver.

Asprey continued to build its reputation for the production of luxury goods including tableware and silverplate pieces throughout the Victorian period and into the early 20th century. Especially known for its designs of the 1920s and ‘30s, Asprey International Limited considers the Art Deco period to have been its golden age. Their designers embraced the spirited originality of the period with open arms, and Asprey enjoyed a time of intense creativity and debuted a wealth of iconic creations throughout the mid-century modern period, too.

Asprey artisans have designed bespoke pieces for such notable celebrities as British musician Ringo Starr and American actress Angelina Jolie. They have also designed made-to-order accessories for Hollywood movies, most notably the Edwardian-style “Coeur de la Mer,” which was a piece of costume jewelry from James Cameron’s 1997 hit, Titanic. The company’s recreation of the piece — this time designed with actual gems sourced from Sri Lanka — fetched more than $2 million at a fundraiser held in Princess Diana’s honor in 1998. Asprey previously acted as the official jewelry designer for the BAFTA awards and collaborated with Ferrari’s Formula 1 team during the late 1990s.

Asprey International Limited has received many awards and recognitions for its timeless designs. Most notably, it was awarded the Queen's Award to Industry in 1975. The London College of Arms bestowed upon the brand a new official coat of arms in 2006 to mark its esteemed 225-year-long legacy of excellence.

On 1stDibs, find antique Asprey International Limited decorative objects, lighting, serveware and silver and jewelry.