Vinaigrette

Thomas Shaw’s premises were in Caroline Street, Birmingham, the center of the silver manufacturing industry; he worked between 1818 and 1845.


The maker’s mark (T S) was used by three different silversmiths in Birmingham at the time, all of whom made snuff boxes and vinaigrettes: Thomas Smith, Thomas Shaw and Thomas Simpson.


This rectangular vinaigrette has reeded sides while the base and cover are decorated with basket-weave engine-turning. The name "E. Taylor" is engraved on the reserve of the cover. The hinged silver-gilt grille is pierced and engraved with foliate decoration. An attached ring allows the vinaigrette to be carried around the neck or to be suspended from a chatelaine worn around the waist.


A vinaigrette was intended to hold a tiny sponge dipped in aromatic vinegar. Its interior Is gilded to protect the silver from oxidation caused by the acidity of the vinegar. A hinged and decoratively pierced inner lid or grille kept the sponge in place while its perforations allowed the odor to waft through. A whiff of the vinegar might revive someone from a fainting spell.