A late Victorian silver two handled bowl, designed by Gilbert L Marks, made by Walter Walker & Br

A late Victorian silver two handled bowl, designed by Gilbert L Marks, made by Walter Walker & Brownfield Tolhurst, London 1894, of shallow circular form on a collet foot, the sides chased and embossed with trailing dog roses against a hammered background, 31.5cm long from handle to handle, 31oz Gilbert Leigh Marks (1861-1905) was one of the first silversmiths to consciously renounce industrial manufacture in favour of handmade craftmanship, although he seems to have had little to do with the Arts and Crafts movement he shared many of its ideals. The importance of his work lies in this ethos and the outstanding quality of its chasing and decoration. He is best known for his silver and silver gilt decorated with naturalistic floral motifs in which his contemporaries perceived a Japanese influence. Although his family were mainly commercial traders his paternal grandfather was the well known Victorian artist Henry Stacey Marks, he was also related to the artists Frederick and William Walker.