Casing of brush for scraping crumbs from the table

Casing of brush for scraping crumbs from the table (after inserting a bristle brush into it) comes from the collection of the Potocki family, from the 19th century, plated. Casing in the shape of a sickle. The handle is slightly curved, widening at the end, the upper and lower parts decorated with Rococo ornamentation. Part of the casing with a place for the hair, partly openwork ¬ openwork from acanthus leaves, rose flowers and a cock’s crest. Plating is a technique involving the coating of a copper sheet with a layer of silver foil, pressed on hot. Plating was invented in 1743 in Sheffield by Thomas Boulsover. A large centre for the production of plated goods was quickly established there. It initially produced small items such as tinsels and buttons, but by about 1750 the production of entire tableware began, but with a layer of silver only on the external part while the inside was covered with tin. The introduction of silver plating on both sides around 1770 started the ‘golden age’ of Sheffield wares, which lasted until 1800. In 1824 the first Polish plated products appeared, which is connected with the production launched by Józef Fraget. The plating technique disappeared after the introduction of electroplating silver, which was easier and much cheaper due to the smaller amount of silver used in the production process.