Keith Murray for Mappin & Webb Art Deco Silver‑Plated Coffee Set, Model W27683

A four-piece silver-plated coffee service attributed to Keith Day Pearce Murray for Mappin & Webb, dated to c.1935 and manufactured in England. The set comprises a coffee pot with lid, a water jug, a milk jug and a lidded sugar bowl. Each vessel displays a stepped, conical profile and closely spaced concentric line ornament to the body with a circular stepped base. The handles and lid finials are black, consistent with early thermoplastic or celluloid mounts. Base photographs show registration and model numbers including "W27683" and maker stamps reading "Mappin & Webb Princes Plate London Sheffield", linking the set to mid‑1930s production in the United Kingdom. Lids are shown lifted in the images, revealing plain, unlined interiors.

Condition Report

The silver‑plate surfaces are generally intact with light surface scratches and isolated areas of wearing to the plating consistent with domestic use and age. Photographs show no obvious significant dents or distortions to the stepped profiles; ridges and edges retain their defined form in the views provided. The black handles and finials are present on all four pieces and show no visible fractures or missing sections in the images. Hinged or lift lids sit squarely on their bodies and operate as shown with no evident misalignment. Interiors, as photographed with lids open, are plain and unlined and display small areas of light tarnish in less accessible regions. Close‑up shots of the bases show maker’s stamps and registration numbers to be clearly legible.

Dimensions

Weight: 1.125gms, Coffee Pot - Height 19cm, Width 9cm, Length 20cm, Diameter at base 9cm, Water Jug - Height 18cm, Width 9cm, Diameter at base 9cm, Milk Jug - Height 10cm, Width 11cm, Diameter at base 6cm, Sugar bowl - Height 8cm, Diameter 9cm.

A Coffee Service for Domestic Use

The set was intended for preparation and presentation of coffee and its accompaniments within a domestic or light hospitality context. Separate vessels provide distinct functions: the coffee pot for brewing and pouring, the water jug to supply hot water or to dilute, the milk jug for cream or milk, and a lidded sugar bowl for granulated sugar. The stepped conical form, spouts and shaped handles assist controlled pouring and handling. The dark thermoplastic handles and finials act as thermal insulators to reduce heat transfer to the hand. The unlined interior surfaces, as shown in the lid‑open images, indicate use with beverages rather than as purely decorative shells.

British Art Deco Design

The design vocabulary aligns with British interpretations of Art Deco in the mid‑1930s: geometric massing, stepped forms and linear surface ornament are primary features. The concentric line decoration provides visual rhythm without applied figuration; form is articulated through profile and repeated banding rather than ornamented engraving. Contrast between the bright plated metal and the dark thermoplastic mounts is consistent with period practice of combining modern materials with traditional service shapes. The overall language of the set corresponds with machine‑age influences in domestic silverware production of the period where clarity of motif and economy of form were commonly employed.

The Craft of Silver‑Plate and Early Plastic Mounts

The main bodies would have been produced by industrial metalworking methods such as spinning or pressing to form the stepped conical profiles. The concentric line ornament was likely produced by rolling, stamping or chasing during or after forming. After assembly, pieces were electroplated to produce the Princes Plate finish identified on the bases. Handles and lid finials of black celluloid or similar early thermoplastic were formed separately and attached to the metal bodies with rivets or screw fittings; the images show typical junctions where mounts are joined. Bases were finished with stepped circular profiles to provide stability and to conceal seams from the forming process.

Designed by Keith Day Pearce Murray for Mappin & Webb

Keith Day Pearce Murray (1892–1981) worked as an architect and designer and produced domestic designs in the early 1930s. Pattern registration and maker stamps visible on the bases — including the model number W27683 and the "Mappin & Webb Princes Plate London Sheffield" stamp — identify the retail house and the commercial plating standard used. These marks correspond with pattern registration practice in Britain and link the design to Murray’s documented collaborations with commercial manufacturers in the mid‑1930s. The presence of legible maker’s marks facilitates attribution and comparative study of firm production practices.

Collected by Specialists of 1930s British Silverware

Collectors of 1930s British plated service focus on documented design attribution, maker’s marks and completeness of sets. Items with legible registration numbers and intact original mounts are of interest for study of design dissemination and manufacturing methods in the period. This set’s recorded model number, clear maker stamps and retention of original black handles and finials make it useful for comparative research into commercial silver‑plating standards, retail practice and the application of Art Deco motifs to domestic metalware in the mid‑1930s.