Rare as Forres silver is, three pieces by the Highland town’s smiths John and Patrick Riach were on offer at Edinburgh auction house Thomson Roddick (17.5% buyer’s premium) on October 11 – the fiddle pattern dessert spoon, below, and two characteristic Scottish toddy labels.

Extracted from Antiques Trade Gazette | Terence Ryle

Having learned his trade 12 miles away in Elgin – another source of eagerly collected Scottish provincial silver – Patrick Riach set up business with his brother back home in Forres in 1817, working there until retirement in 1854.

Market-fresh appeal

The three pieces came from one of two private collections established 40 years ago. Such market-fresh material, said auctioneer Sybelle Thomson, attracted enthusiastic bidders – including many she hadn’t seen for a number of years in the Rosewell rooms.

The c.1830 dessert spoon, pitched at £800-1200, went to a collector in the room at £3500.

Quadrupling the top estimate, a c.1840 toddy ladle took £2400, while a slightly earlier example c.1830 toddy, with clean hallmarks but a dent to the back of the bowl and some pitting, sold at £1400.

Among the other provincial pieces was a c.1810 goblet by Dundee smith W Jamieson.

The 7½in (18cm) tall goblet with ovoid bowl on a spreading stem and circular foot was engraved with a trail of fruiting vines. Pitched at £600-800, it sold at £1000.