Large Silver Plated Recipe Cocktail Shaker by Keith Murray

Spectacular Art Deco cocktail shaker designed by Keith Murray for Mappin & Webb, circa 1935. With stepped and lined decoration to the top and body of the shaker. 

Made of heavy gauge silver plate that Mappin and Webb termed 'Prince's Plate' which is a higher quality than normal silver plate, as the process uses a triple deposit of silver.

The cocktail shaker has a one and a half pint capacity, with a large lift-off cap and removable strainer inside in order to strain the cocktail upon serving. The body of the shaker is engraved with a whimsical conga line of characters dressed in top hats all dancing, along with a bottle and a glass.

They are framed by a pair of illuminated street lights, in between which sits a numbered list of six iconic Art Deco cocktails; 1.Bronx, 2.Clover Club, 3.Dry Martini, 4.Manhattan Dry, 5.Side Car, 6.Charley Horse.

Below this top row of engraving is a second row that shows the ingredients and amounts required for each cocktail.

Dimensions: 10cm/4 inches (max. Diameter) x 24cm/ 9½ inches (Height).

Keith Murray was a New Zealand born architect and designer who is considered one of the most influential designers of the Art Deco style.

Born in Auckland, his family emigrated to England when he was 14. After school he attended the Architectural School of Architecture and completed his studies in 1921. In this same year he started work in the offices of architects Maxwell Ayrton.

The economic crash of 1929 and the depression of the early 1930s reduced the demand for architecture which forced him to seek other employment and he became a full-time product designer.

It was at this time that the Royal Silversmiths Mappin and Webb approached him to produce some designs. Mappin & Webb have been silversmiths to all of the United Kingdom’s sovereigns since 1897.