Benham & Froud Commemorative Queen Victoria Copper Jelly Mould

Late Victorian

Circa 1887 | England

An exceptionally rare and highly coveted antique Benham & Froud copper mould created to celebrate Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee in 1887 (see The Gen). The top of the mould is decorated in the design of Queen Victoria’s cypher and crown. This mould celebrates the Victorians, and their Queen, who took jelly making to dizzying heights.

DIMENSIONS: Diameter 12.5 cm, Height 11.5 cm.

SIGNATURES, MARKINGS & INSCRIPTIONS: Stamped with the orb and cross mark (see The Gen), pattern number 550, and registration number RD NO. 293905.

CONDITION: In excellent condition, wear consistent with an antique age and use. The mould is in its original condition and has not been restored or polished; it therefore retains years of patina that truly celebrates its age and cannot be replicated. One for the collectors!

All my antique copper comes in as found ‘unrestored’ condition with the years of history retained in the lovely patina created by surface marks made by ordinary kitchen use. The choice then becomes yours whether to have the item polished, or the tin relined, and a decorative item can once more become a treasured new kitchen utensil to be loved and used by a new gen. At times an item may already have been lovingly polished by a previous owner and the copper will show off its rosy glow. Whether polished or not, the patina adds to the history of the item and wonder of the stories it could tell.

REFERENCES: See an example of this mould that was auctioned at Bonhams on 3 November 2010, Lot 414.

~~~~~~~~~~~

THE GEN

“Writing in her diary the Queen reflected on the day of celebrations: “This very eventful day has come & is passed. It will be very difficult to describe it, but all went off admirably … The morning was beautiful & bright with a fresh air. Troops began passing early, with Bands playing, & one heard constant cheering. The crowds from the Palace gates up to the Abbey were enormous, & there was such an extraordinary outburst of enthusiasm as I have hardly ever seen in London before, all the people seemed to be in such good humour. The old Chelsea Pensioners were in a stand near the Arch. The decorations along Piccadilly were quite beautiful & there were most touching inscriptions. Seats & platforms were arranged up to the tops of the houses, & such waving of hands. Piccadilly, Regent Street & Pall Mall were alike, most festively decorated. Many schools out & many well-known faces were seen … God save the Queen was played & then changed to Handel’s Occasional Overture, as I was led slowly up the Nave & Choir, which looked beautiful all filled with people … I sat alone oh! without my beloved Husband (for whom this would have been such a proud day!) … The service was very well done & arranged. The ‘Te Deum’ by my darling Albert sounded beautiful, & the anthem by Dr Bridge was fine, especially the way in which the National Anthem & dear Albert’s Chorale were worked in. Dr Stainer’s beautiful ‘Amen’ at the end of the service, was most impressive … The noise of the crowd, which began yesterday went on till late. Felt truly grateful that all had passed off so admirably & this never to be forgotten day, will always leave the most gratifying & heart stirring memoirs behind.” A History of Jubilees and The Royal Family

The ‘orb and cross’ mark which appears on some Benham & Froud copper moulds is a homage to the cross atop St Paul’s in London. “Perhaps one of the greatest achievements of the coppersmith in connection with church metal-work is the ball and cross of St. Paul’s, surmounting the great dome. It was made in the year 1821 by Benham and Froud, an old firm of coppersmiths. When viewed from beneath few would imagine that the cross, although so high up, is 30 ft. in height, and that its weight is upwards of one and a half tons. The occasional gilding of this triumph of the coppersmith’s art is in itself a costly procedure.” (Chats on Old Copper and Brass, F.W. Burgess, Ernest Benn Limited, 1954, p. 72)

~~~~~~~~~~~