A Late Victorian Silver Mounted Ebony Desk Tray by William Riley, 1889

A late Victorian rectangular desk or stationery tray crafted from solid ebony with sterling silver mounts. The tray is designed with a large primary recessed area and a secondary narrow compartment spanning the full width of the rear. The front edge is open, flanked by raised sides that curve outwards at the forward corners. The two rear corners are reinforced with triangular sterling silver mounts, which are decorated with chased foliate and scrollwork designs and secured to the wood with small screws. The silver mounts are hallmarked with the maker mark WR for William Riley, the lion passant for sterling silver, the anchor for the Birmingham assay office, and the lowercase date letter p for 1889. The underside of the wood is stamped EBONY.

Width: 340mm
Depth: 240mm.