Napkin rings silver plated set of eight mark 90 circa 1950

Set of eight silver plated napkin rings in a plain cylindrical form, each struck with a figurative maker's mark and the number 90. That number is the continental quality designation for silver plate and refers to the thickness of the silver layer rather than to solid silver. The rings most likely date from the middle of the twentieth century and are in good condition, with light traces of use in keeping with their age.

The napkin ring belonged to a table culture in which each member of the household kept an individual ring to hold a cloth napkin between meals. In silver plated form it was a fixture of the better domestic and hotel table service, where the sober, undecorated shape places the emphasis on material and proportion rather than ornament. A complete set of eight surviving together remains fairly uncommon for silver plated ware.