Shepherd and Boyd Silver Ice Bucket
- Oct 23, 2025
- 1 min read
Updated: Jan 29
If you were looking for the peak of luxury in 1814, then you need go no further than this silver ice bucket. Indoor refrigeration was a rare convenience in the early 19th century, as harvesting ice was highly labor intensive and primarily used for transporting perishable goods across the country. To use ice for the simple purpose of chilling a beverage sent a message, and an ice bucket took it one step further. They were a symbol of status and refinement amongst the elite. Their very existence implied the luxury of their purpose and were typically made of pewter or silver and intricately decorated to stand out amongst even the finest of dinnerware.
George "The Builder" owned several ice buckets engraved with the Hyde phaeton crest and reflect George’s distinctly English tastes stemming from a childhood spent in the manors of Cheshire, England. He purchased them from the notable silversmiths Shepherd and Boyd. Given their significance at the time, they would have elevated any event hosted at Hyde Hall.
