Superb Heavy Gauge Openwork Silver Fruit Basket of Oval Form, with stylish grape, vine and wheat sheaf detail throughout , with gadrooned edge and standing on a raised oval base.

Mark of  RMEH for Martin Hall & Co.

Birmingham Halmark for 1906.

Condition: Good allover condition with no imperfections.

Width: 9.5” (24cm). Depth: 6.9” (19cm). Height: 2.75” (7cm).

Weight: (an impressive) 13.9ozs.  (432 grams).

Martin Hall & Company: The origin of the firm is in the partnership established in 1820 in Sheffield by Henry Wilkinson and John Roberts who traded as Wilkinson & Roberts. Wilkinson left the business in 1836 and in 1846 John Roberts entered in partnership with Ebenezer Hall (his apprentice in 1836) under the style Roberts & Hall.

In 1854 entered into the partnership Richard Martin (of Martin Brothers & Naylor) and Joshua Hall (brother of Ebenezer Hall) under the style Martin, Hall & Co.
The factory was active at Shrewsbury Works, Broad Street Park, Sheffield with showrooms in London (where they were listed as manufacturing silversmiths and electroplated manufacturers, silver, plated and steel cutlers), Sydney, Birmingham and Glasgow.
The firm participated to the 1851 Great Exhibition, the Internation Exhibition (1862), the Sydney Exhibition (1879), the Melboune Exhibition (1881) and the 1915 British Industries Fair.
Items made by Martin, Hall & Co were retailed by Wordley & Co - Liverpool, Ball & Edwards - Birmingham, Henry Ellis & Son - Exeter, Charles Nephew & Co - Calcutta, West & Son - Dublin, Goldsmiths Alliance Ltd - Cornhill, Pearce & Co - Leeds, Mappin Brothers - London, George Edward & Sons - Glasgow, James Aitchinson - Edinburgh, Mackay & Chisholm - Edinburgh and many other firms.
After WWI and a brief association of interests with Gladwin Ltd the firm went in liquidation and was struck off the register in 1936 (according to another source the business was sold to Frank Cobb & Co in 1931/1932).