Silver basket all yours - for £2.7m
A decorated silver basket, made in the 18th century and kept for many years at Taymouth Castle, is up for sale on eBay - for the princely sum of £2.7 million.
The auction site is better known for bargains for the home and everyday items, not solid silver antiques like this one - said to have been used by Queen Victoria.
A mere snip at £2,761,559.10 or $3,500,000, the Breadalbane Cake Basket lot ends on January 15. The American seller requests just £7 for postage.
Offered for sale is an ornate hand-pierced solid silver basket, made by William Cripps of London for Colin Campbell of Carwhin (1704-1772), father of John, first Marquess of Breadalbane.
It is assumed to be a wedding gift for the Perthshire nobleman from his friend, King George II.
In the ‘history’ shown for the Breadalbane Cake Basket, it notes the basket, made circa 1758, predates the current 1806 Taymouth Pick up the silver basket on ebay for £2.7 million
Castle by almost half a century and the vendor suggests that Queen Victoria herself most likely ate oatcakes from the fancy table centrepiece when she stayed at Taymouth in 1842.
There are engravings of moths and bugs around its base and an image of the cold blowing wind on the handle. There are faces decorating the basket’s feet.
Another, identical basket dated 1744 is on permanent display at the V&A in London.