silverwork

silverwork, vessels, utensils, jewelry, coinage, and ornamentation made from silver. A brief treatment of silverwork follows. For full treatment, see metalwork.

The oldest silver artifacts date from ancient Sumer about 4000 bce. The scarcity of silver, combined with its softness and malleability, precluded its use for making tools. These same characteristics, however, combined with its brilliant white colour and resistance to oxidation, ensured its prominence in ornamentation and as a major part of the monetary systems of most cultures. Silver is readily worked by nearly all metalworking techniques, including casting, chasing, embossing, engraving, forging, inlaying, and enameling.

In ancient times, especially in Rome, silver was highly prized for the making of plate ware, household utensils, and ornamental work. Silver later lost its position of dominance to gold, but during the Middle Ages it once again became the principal material used for metal artwork in Europe. The similarity between solid gold and gilt silver assured that the less expensive silver would command a large market. Large quantities of silver from the New World also encouraged eager buyers in Europe. The art of silverwork flourished in the Renaissance, finding expression in virtually every imaginable form. Silver was often plated with gold and other decorative materials. Although silver sheets had been used to overlay wood and other metals since ancient Greece, an 18th-century technique of fusing thin silver sheets to copper brought silver goods called Sheffield plate within the reach of most people.