Stock No. 2996	Victorian silver stork ribbon threader
	Very charming and amusing Victorian stirling silver ribbon threader made in the shape of a stork. Birmingham 1878 by George Unite. The long curved beak is serrated on the inside so as to hold the ribbon firmly. The stork's long legs each end in a ring which would accommodate the user's fingers. One of these rings has four claws attached to the base so that the stork can stand upright. The body is made in two pieces held together by the eye which is, in fact, a pin. By moving one's fingers in the rings on the feet, the beak can be opened and closed. The very crisp hallmarks are stamped on the outside of both rings. One ring is stamped with the maker's mark, the Birmingham anchor mark and the date letter for 1878. The other ring is stamped with the maker's mark, the Queen's head duty mark and the lion passant assay mark. This ring is also engraved with the original owner's initials W. G. R.
	Maker :- George Unite

Condition :-Excellent condition with very crisp definition and extremely good hallmarks
Hallmarked :- Birmingham 1878
Size :- 4.9 inches (12.4 cm) tall
Weight :- 0.89 ozt (27.6 g)
Ribbon threaders were used to thread the ribbon through the eyelets on baby clothes. This one is in such pristine condition that it would make an excellent and most amusing gift. George Unite was a very prolific Birmingham silversmith in the mid to second half of the 19th century whose work was always of high quality. He is renowned for his small novelty items of silver.

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