Stock No. 3572	Victorian Elkington electoplate decanter wagon and wine coasters
	Extremely decorative Victorian decanter wagon on four wheels bearing two wine coasters. By Elkington, Mason & Company. The wagon is dated 1848 and the handle which operates the articulated front wheels is dated 1850. The coasters are dated 1867. The wagon consists of two plain circular discs with reeded borders on which the two wine coasters stand. Each disc has a pair of important-looking wheels with decorative spokes and hub. The front pair of wheels are articulated. The two discs are joined by a wide, plain, slightly shaped band. The handle by which the wagon is moved, simulates entwined vine branches with vine leaves and grapes. The two impressive wine coasters are decorated in high Victorian style. The curved sides end in a wavy rim and the coasters are cast with strapwork, cherub heads and fruit on a matted ground. On the inside of each coaster is an applied plaque "Published by Elkington, Mason and Co. April 1851". The wooden bases of the coasters are both stamped on the reverse with the number 5789.Maker :- Elkington, Mason & Co

Condition :-Excellent condition with very little signs of wear, although the baize on the reverse of the coasters is a little worn with time. The wagon is in perfect working order and the maker's marks are all crisp and clear
Circa :- 1867
Size :-	18.35 inches (46.6 cm) length of wagon with handle 7 inches (17.8 cm) wide at wheels 4 inches (10.2 cm) high including coasters 5.3 inches (13.5 cm) diameter at top of coaster
The Elkington Company had their own series of date marks and the fact that different parts of this wagon are dated for different years is not as puzzling as it would originally seem. The most logical explanation is that decanter wagons, with the same pattern of wine coasters, were made by Elkington, Mason & Co for the Great Exhibition in 1851. It is probable that Elkington again wanted to exhibit this type of decanter wagon at the Paris Exhibition of 1867. They probably used a wagon left over from those made for the Great Exhibition and made new coasters onto which they applied the above plaque to show that the design had been published in 1851. Everything that Elkington's made was of extremely high quality and their electroplating was so solid that it shows little wear even to-day. The company was established by two cousins, George Richards Elkington and Henry Elkington. They, as well as others, were experimenting with the electroplating of base metals in the 1830s. In 1840, Elkington & Co were granted a patent for their method of electroplating and electrogilding both in Britain and in France. They bought out competing patent holders and the company flourished. The Elkington factory was in Newhall Street, Birmingham and premises in London were also opened. In 1842, a third partner joined the firm - Josiah Mason and the firm was renamed Elkington, Mason and Co. By the time of the Great Exhibition in 1851, Elkington's were the leading producers of plated wares and had also licensed the process to various firms in Britain and abroad. An enormous amount of fun can be had with this decanter wagon. It can be passed round on a large table or kept stationary, as a centrepiece on a smaller one. Towards the end of dinner, one coaster could carry the port and the other could be filled with chocolates and grapes. At other times, the wagon would make a decorative centrepiece filled with fruit or with flowers, so long as the flower water is kept in small containers. The possibilities are numerous and the wagon will always be an interesting conversation piece.

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