A Victorian medium sized sterling silver travel drinking flask with removable telescopic drinking cup. This is a stunning piece, very simple in design, and top quality with a very rare and unique twist. The body is a classic flask, even bottle shape. The removable lid, which completely unscrews from the body, is actually a fully extending collapsible shot cup. This si a very rare and beautiful secret element to what is a simple and classic looking flask. The metal gauge is very thick making it a durable companion for outdoor, more rigorous trips or activities. The flask has full makers marks on the side of the body, and the removable telescopic drinking cup. A wonderful element to the cup is that, by English hallmarking law, any piece that can become separated from the main hallmarked body must also have an individual hallmark to ensure the purity of the metal of each component. Therefore one can see this repetition of marks all the way down the cup, when extended. The maker's marks are for the prolific and highly regarded silversmiths Thomas Johnson. Thomas Johnson II belonged to a respected lineage of Victorian London silversmiths working during a period when finely made personal silver objects were an essential part of daily life. Active in the later nineteenth century, he continued the traditions established by the Johnson workshop, producing carefully engineered smallwares that balanced practicality with restrained ornamentation. Rather than grand table silver, the firm specialised in pieces designed to be carried, handled and used, reflecting the era’s fascination with ingenious, well crafted accessories. Operating within the evolving partnership of Thomas Johnson & Sons, and later Johnson, Sons & Edmonds, his work represents the transition from traditional bench silversmithing to a more modern manufacturing approach. Today, pieces bearing his mark are appreciated for their precise construction and quietly confident Victorian design, offering a glimpse into a world where even the smallest object was expected to be both functional and beautifully made. The base of the flask has the hand engraved retail name; Edwards & Jones. Edwards & Jones were London stationers and dressing case makers active from around 1865 to 1895, founded by Edward Henry Edwards of Chester and his partner Alexander Jones. Edwards appears to have worked independently earlier, recorded on Regent Street by 1856. The firm specialised in finely made dressing cases and travel accessories, while also retailing goods by other makers, and their premises at 161 Regent Street served as a depot for the esteemed stationer De La Rue. By 1880 they had expanded nearby to 167 Regent Street, operating an Ivory Warehouse alongside fan maker Duvelleroy Jules. Following the end of the partnership in 1895, the business became Edwards & Sons, joined by Edwards’s sons Charles Alfred and John Frederick. Consolidating their premises to numbers 159 and 161 Regent Street, the company continued into the early twentieth century, remembered today for well made Victorian dressing case fittings and refined personal accessories. The flask is in excellent condition throughout. Made in London, England, in 1879. As early flasks go, they do not come much better than this.
