Whistle Categories > Silver Whistles
Where did silver whistles originate?
Perhaps in the history of the UK are the earliest of silversmith whistles. However, an open mind must be kept for China and other countries such as France of even older culture and artisans there may in fact lay claim.Many examples of petite maiden or ladies’ whistles or even whistles made for charms still exist, testifying to the productivity of these artisans.
Few exist of the larger sizes that would come, perhaps because of the precious metal or more likely from the soft material as many vintage silver whistles were light weight and easily dented or damaged.
How are silver whistles identified?
Identification would necessarily come from testing the metal. However, this category is set aside also for thecopious number of designs that clever silversmiths came up with.Whistles made of crafted silver are of different grades, but silver they must be. Accordingly, they were also marked in different grades. In the UK a hallmark system came to be used for quality of silver. The same came to be in the states, France, China, and other countries.
Additionally coin silver could be melted down and provided to silversmiths abroad, as in China where ports like Canton, Hong Kong and Shanghai, had artisans in these city back alleys custom making whistles or additions done on ‘made to order’.
Why were they made?
Silver has an antiseptic quality. Early boatswain whistles took advantage of this as well as the proliferation of other maiden whistles, fob whistles and ornamental and whistles of larger sizes.
A very large group of silver whistles was teether whistles also of silver. Its workability allowed tremendous artwork which would appeal to the upper class.
Then there is the obvious need to use these whistles for more than looks. Women could sound alarm, servants could be called, nannies could ask for help. All whistles are called calls for a reason, with silver ones being no exception.
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