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Imagine a Victorian afternoon tea: china cups on the table, freshly baked sweets being passed around, and a handsome silver basket turning an ordinary offering into something worth lingering over. This richly decorated Middletown Plate Co. cake basket, dating approximately to 1880–1895, brings that same sense of occasion to a table today.
With its square, flared bowl, ornate feet, and gracefully arched handle, this is a substantial piece of American Victorian tableware. It weighs 2.6 pounds and measures approximately 9.5 inches square by 3.5 inches high at the basket rim, excluding the raised handle.
The decoration rewards a closer look. Flowers, curling stems, and textured leaves spread across the sloping sides, framed by narrow geometric borders. Daisy-like blossoms mingle with trumpet-shaped flowers and foliage, creating the abundant garden effect so characteristic of Victorian decorative taste.
The handle is crowned by a sculptural arrangement of two trumpet-shaped blossoms and leaves. Elaborate ornamental mounts connect it to the basket, while the decorated feet lift the bowl above the tabletop. The contrast between the angular bowl and flowing botanical ornament gives the piece particularly strong visual appeal.
A subtle Victorian scene inside
The floor of the basket features a lightly defined scene of a woman in a dress seated beneath a parasol, surrounded by floral decoration. This is the faintest part of the design and is not immediately apparent—you may need angled light to appreciate it.
Please note the worn finish to the right of the seated woman and parasol, shown in the photographs. The interior scene is considerably softer than the more pronounced decoration around the sides.
Made by Middletown Plate Co., Connecticut
The underside bears the maker’s circular balance-scale trademark, together with “Quadruple Plate,” “Hard White Metal,” and the number 1830. The number identifies the model or pattern; it is not the date.
“Quadruple Plate” was a period designation for a heavier grade of silverplating. “Hard White Metal” identifies the underlying base metal. This is silverplated tableware rather than solid sterling silver.
Middletown was part of Connecticut’s important nineteenth-century silverplate industry, producing decorative serving pieces that brought the appearance of fine silver to a wider market. Its elaborate baskets belonged to a world in which useful household objects were also opportunities for craftsmanship and display.
Condition and measurements
- Approximately 9.5 inches wide × 9.5 inches deep.
- Approximately 3.5 inches high at the basket rim, excluding the raised handle.
- Weight: 2.6 pounds.
- Small irregularities along the rim edge.
- Age-related patina, and areas of finish wear.
- Noticeable worn finish inside, particularly to the right of the parasol lady.
- Clearly marked underneath; please examine the detailed photographs.
A beautifully ornamented antique with substantial presence—ready to become part of another household’s celebrations, gatherings, and everyday displays.
