Initially, when I received this rather beat-up silver bowl, I searched it for some sign that it was sterling silver and not silver plate. I discovered by researching the hallmarks, that this bowl was made by Charles Stuart Harris in late Victorian-era London. It is made of Britannia Standard silver, which is an alloy with a slightly higher silver content than sterling.  I found an identical bowl, in better condition, listed on an auction site, and I contacted them to find out if this was a collectible item with value beyond the weight of silver. The one they had listed sold for little more than the value of the silver, so, after informing the client, I proceeded with the project. I was struck by two things about this piece. First, the rather strange, slightly worn heads on the handles and second, the beautiful chasing around the bowl, which looked like twisted rope.