Dustpan

Dustpan for gathering crumbs from the table (it makes a set with the brush), from the collection of the Potocki family, in the neo-Rococo style of the 19th century, plated. The whole is rectangular in shape with a rounded lower edge and slightly concave sides, decorated at the top with a striped openwork ornament consisting of volutes, rose flowers and a cock’s crest. The handle in the shape of a fancifully curved volute supported on a split leaf. Plating is a technique involving the coating of a copper sheet with a layer of silver, in the form of a foil, pressed on hot. It was first used in 1743 by Thomas Boulsover in Sheffield, England. A large centre for the production of plated goods was quickly established there. It initially produced small items such as tinsels and buttons, but by about 1750 the production of entire tableware began. In such products the layer of silver was applied only on the external part and the inside was covered with tin. The introduction of silver plating on both sides around 1770 started the ‘golden age’ of Sheffield wares, which lasted until 1800. In 1824 the first Polish plated products appeared, which is connected with the production launched by Józef Fraget. The plating technique disappeared after the introduction of electroplating silver, which was easier and much cheaper due to the smaller amount of silver used in the production process.