Recently Sold By Regent Antiques – Antique Champagne Coolers and Punch Bowls for the Holidays
Antique sterling silver and silver plated champagne coolers and wine coolers are both beautiful and practical, and can become a talking piece of their own at your next public or private soiree.
As the holidays draw near and the champagne and punch start to flow, what better way to prepare than by picking up a fantastic antique champagne cooler or antique punch bowl from Regent Antiques?
We have sold a number of fantastic antique punch bowls and champagne coolers recently, including this stunning 1892 sterling silver gem by Walter Barnard, this vintage silver plated champagne cooler, as well as this stunning banquet-sized Art Deco wine cooler.
These exquisite pieces reflect a long and fascinating history. So, where did wine and champagne coolers come from? The idea of keeping wine and beer cool is not new. It is believed that snow and ice from mountains and lakes were used by ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. It would however be a long time before the wine cooler was officially introduced.
Goldsmith Henry Jernegan of London commissioned what is believed to be the first wine cooler around 1735. His client Littleton Poyntz Meynell wanted the largest ever wine cooler in the world.
The sculptor John Rysbrack was asked to include Bacchanalian scenes and crouching panthers on the bowl. Four years later, a team of crack silversmiths, chasers, and engravers finished it. When asked to pay the bill, Meynell apparently refused, so Jernegan offered it as a lottery prize in 1737 to raise funds for a new bridge over the Thames at Westminster.
The winner, a Major William Battine of East Marden in Sussex, sold the cooler to the Regent Anna Leopoldovna of Russia in 1738. Since 1743, the cooler has been displayed in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.
Wine coolers gained more popularity once refrigeration was invented and it was possible to transport ice, and have ever since been a mainstay of parties and top-notch hospitality, both privately and publicly.
Our experts are always available to help with any queries that you may have about marquetry dining tables or any of our other items so please feel free to give us a call +44 20 8809 9605 or send an email to info@regentantiques.com.
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