Silver: over the past couple of years the market for traditional areas, such as English Georgian silver, has been quiet, but high prices are being paid for outstanding designs and intriguing provenances

Apollo, June, 2004 by Lucy Morton

Continental Silver

A pair of Italian sauce tureens, mark of Luigi Valadier, Rome, c. 1780 (Christie's London, 25 November 2003, lot 350)--453,250[pounds sterling] (200-300,000[pounds sterling])

A pair of Russian silver-gilt and niello beakers, unmarked, second half of eighteenth century (Christie's London, 11 June 2003, lot 135)--31,070[pounds sterling] (7-10,000[pounds sterling])

A pair of Russian vegetable dishes, attributed to Carl Gustav Hallmuth, St Petersburg, c. 1774 (Christie's New York, 21 October 2003, lot 255)--$97,990 ($15-20,000)

A pair of silver wine coolers, maker's mark of Ignaz Joseph Wurth, Vienna, 1781 (Sotheby's New York, 18 and 19 October 2002, lot 47)--$504,500 ($150-200,000)

Saleroom estimates are in italics

Lucy Morton is a director of Partridge Fine Arts PLC and runs the company's antique silver department.