Antique 1880s Chased Revolving BUTER DISH No 4978 MERIDEN

This is an antique chased revolving BUTTER DISH No 4978 by Meriden Britannia, USA.  

This chased revolving butter dish was ADVERTISED for sale in the Busiest House in America catalogue (1887) under the heading Quadruple Silver Plated Ware, No 4978 (Betoken) and sold for US$9.75 at the time.

This piece, I believe, has been re-silver plated.  It is polished and shiny. 
The only wear marks are:
- the uneven surface at the bottom of the inside of the ice bowl and;
- the inside bottom surface of the metal dish insert that hold the glass insert (glass not included).
This is the only wear that is evident and both areas are believed to have been included in the re-silvering process.
The mechanical revolving mechanism, the surface, and the decoration are in excellent condition.
This piece operates exactly as expected.

The two flag handles turn the revolving lid that slides between the butter dish and the base. Apparently, butter in the day came in mounds that fit under the dome of this butter dish.  Ice was used to keep the butter fresh and keep it from melting. There are two pins and a chain on each side to secure the lid; however, there is not enough friction to actually stop the pins from rolling.  

This revolving butter dish is beautifully decorated with an engraved spray of leaves, flowers, and a bird perched on the branch.  The handle has three dimensional flowers applied to a double bar. The footed base and the rim of the bowl is decorated with an embossed band of flowers and leaf pattern.  There is also a cut out lace that makes up the supports on either side that suspends the globe and the upper portion of the butter dish.

Inside, the revolving butter dish has a round metal insert with an opening in the center that measures 4 1/2 in (11.5cm) in diameter and 1/2 in (1.5cm) deep.  The dish rests in place on a rim inside the inverted dome.  A glass dish (not included) would sit inside this metal holder.  

This Chased Revolving Butter Dish measures 10 1/2 in (26.75cm) in diameter from the tip of one flag handle to the other.  The piece measures 11 1/2 in (29cm) tall to the top of the flower on the handle.  The globe part of this butter dish is 5 1/2 in (14cm)in diameter at the outer edge.

This is a professionally re-silvered antique that is an exquisite example of the 1880's tabletop Holloware by Meriden Britannia Silver Co.   

This 1880s antique Chased Revolving Butter Dish No 4978 is in excellent refurbished condition.