Object Details
- Description
- Hollow-handled cheese ball holder or server with three adjustable clamping arms enclosing a small, slightly concave circular tray on a dome base edged in roses and ruffled leaves. The arms fit through three holes in the neck below tray and are attached to a screw knob mechanism on the underside that opens and closes them. Screw knob is struck incuse "QUADRUPLE PLATE" in serif letters above a circular crossed-hammers mark for "WILCOX SILVER PLATE C\o." with crossed raising hammers at center, the number "40" and "PATENTED" below.
- Maker is Wilcox Silver Plate Co. of Meriden, CT. The firm was founded as Wilcox Britannia Co. in 1865, and changed its name to Wilcox Silver Plate Co. in 1867. It was one of the founding members of International Silver Co. in 1898; Insilco continued to use the Wilcox name and trademark until circa 1961 when the line was consolidated with E. G. Webster & Son (purchased by Insilco in 1928) into Webster-Wilcox.
- Seth W. Babbitt of Meriden, CT, assignor to the Wilcox Plate Co. received U.S. Patent No. 453,571 on June 2, 1891 for "improvements in table articles designed to receive and securely hold cheeses of the kind particularly known as Edam and Pine-Apple".
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
- date made
- 1880s
- date patented
- 1891-06-02
- patent date
- 1891-06-02
- Credit Line
- Gift of Barbara W. Jarrell
- Physical Description
- silver plate (overall material)
- electroplate (overall production method/technique)
- Measurements
- overall: 5 in x 8 1/4 in x 4 7/8 in; 12.7 cm x 20.955 cm x 12.3825 cm
- Object Name
- holder, cheese ball
