A VICTORIAN ENGRAVED SILVER SCENT FLASK IN THE MANNER OF KAT...

Hammer

£150

A VICTORIAN ENGRAVED SILVER SCENT FLASK IN THE MANNER OF KATE GREENAWAY

by Sampson Mordan II, London 1884, in the original fitted case. 14cm long, 1.2 troy ounces

Kate (or Catherine) Greenaway (1846-1901) was a Victorian children’s book illustrator and writer. The daughter of a successful draftsman and wood engraver, she studied graphic design and art between 1858 and 1869. Her first book, “Under the Window”, was an instant best-seller, brought her immediate fame and was followed by numerous highly successful publications. At the same time as her writing career she excelled as a watercolourist, working with illustrators Walter Crane and Randolph Caldecott. Her distinctive old-fashioned style depicted children and young ladies dressed in early 19th Century costumes in quaint settings, a style of grace and charm that transformed the children’s book market. Walter Crane described her talent as “captivating the public in a remarkable way”.