Set of 4 Late Victorian crested sterling silver table forks, London, 1891, Wakely & Wheeler

A beautiful set of 4 Late Victorian crested sterling silver table forks, with marks for London, 1891, Wakely & Wheeler (James Wakely & Frank Clarke Wheeler). Wakely and Wheeler were active from 1884 to 1908, and prior to that Wakely was already a silversmith of note that was in partnership with Henry Lias II of the Lias silversmithing dynasty.

The crest is beautifully etched and depicts a Demi-leopard gardant holding a helmet in its dexter paw, with the helmet being an emblem used by nobility; while the exact family branch could not be traced thus far, a number of prominent families in the Bedfordshire area as well as in Ireland are known to use the Demi-leopard as their crest. Examples include the Casement, Cooper, Lepper and Briers families. 

Price marked at $1200AUD for the set

Measurements: 29.5cm length, 269 grams total weight.

Excellent antique condition overall with thick gauge, marks crisp and well-struck.