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Animals

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Sterling Silver Animals — a 200-year tradition, and now the fastest-growing part of our own business.
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Silver animals have served a genuinely wide range of purposes for over 200 years — game birds as table decoration, novelty mustard and pepper pots, and heavier stirrup cups and other drinking vessels among them. Demand has grown significantly in recent years, and our own silver animals, cast using original nineteenth-century patterns and tooling, are now the fastest-growing part of our business. Every piece is hallmarked, guaranteeing the silver content under UK law.

At a Glance

A 200+ year tradition — game birds, novelty condiment pots, stirrup cups, and more
Pheasants are the most widely available game bird model
Snipe, woodcock, partridge, and grouse are mainly found from 1930 onwards
Continental models are sand cast (fine detail) but lighter in gauge than British
Pre-1850 examples are scarce; strong collector demand keeps prices firm
Our own pieces are cast from original 19th-century patterns and tooling

Style & Maker History

Silver animals have been made for well over 200 years, historically for a genuinely practical range of purposes rather than purely as ornaments — game birds as table decoration, novelty condiment pots, stirrup cups and other drinking vessels among them. Many of the casting processes used on genuine vintage and antique examples are still the ones used today: original nineteenth-century patterns and tooling remain the only real way to recreate the artistry of that period’s silversmiths. Older examples in the market are often Dutch, German, or British, made to differing silver grades depending on origin — British models are particularly sought after, and pre-1850 examples are genuinely scarce, with strong collector demand keeping prices firm.

Buyer's Guide

Pheasants are the most widely available game bird model and a traditional favourite. Snipe, woodcock, partridge, and grouse are also popular, though generally more commonly found from 1930 onwards — before that, novelty pepper pots tend to be the more unusual model available. Worth knowing if you’re comparing pieces: Continental (European) models are typically sand cast, which gives finer detail, but tend to run lighter in gauge than their British counterparts.

A few things to know

Any item which is guaranteed to be over 100 years old.
Sterling Silver is guaranteed by the UK Hallmarking Act. Each piece is independently verified and assayed for the purity of silver content.
Yes, all of the items shown on our website are available to view at our showroom in The London Silver Vaults.
Looking after your silverware is a simple process. We have put together a guide at https://johnsurtees.co.uk/knowledge/how-to-clean-silver-care-guide/