Here is a delightful and rare piece which again pushes back the boundaries of Ritchie's association with the Birmingham assay office. Until this website began, it was thought that Ritchie's first Birmingham hallmarked pieces began in 1931 with his ICA (Iona Celtic Art) period.

Subsequently a silver cigarette case turned up with a Birmingham 1921 hallmark, which you can see on this site, pushing the date back ten years.

Now there is this delightful little trinket/snuff box, with one of Alex Ritchie's beautiful Iona birds in repousse on the lid. It is 9.5cms long by 4.5cms width, and has the very early Cornelius Saunders and Francis Shepherd marks of CS*FS and a Birmingham hallmark of 1909, showing that Ritchie was submitting work to Birmingham through the latter silversmiths before he was registered as a silversmith in his own right in 1910. A remarkable and beautiful little piece, and possibly a 'one-off' commission, made 22 years before Ritchie began using his ICA mark.

Fine large Alexander Ritchie silver buckle, with knotwork patterning. The reverse has Ritchie's 'spectacle mark' AR stamp, along with recessed conjoined AR stamp, IONA, and an early Chester hallmark for 1915.

Believed unique bespoke cigarette case by Alexander Ritchie. Beautiful repousse knotwork panelling, and central longship in full sail, with oarsmen. Gilded interior. Hallmarks for Chester 1911, and recessed IONA and AR. This case, and the one earlier in this section with a Birmingham hallmark and birds design, are believed to be the only known examples of Ritchie silver cigarette cases to date. An extremely rare and very beautiful piece.

Most unusual solid silver dish, diameter 5", with knotwork border and longship central motif. Repousse work. Hallmarked for 1929, with the Alexander Ritchie 'spectacle marks' of AR. A number of small dishes by Ritchie exist in brass, but very few are known in hallmarked silver. Iona silverwork at its best!

Possibly the finest piece of Alexander Ritchie's work I have come across yet. Profusely decorated sterling silver two-handled chalice, with ornate repousse decoration around the bowl. Unique, as it has a Gaelic inscription around the base of the bowl, which translated, reads "This cup was presented to Sine NicNeacail (Sheena McNicol or Nicholson), the wife of the secretary, by the Gaelic Society of Inverness in testament to her work on behalf of the Society. 26. 3 1926". The other fascinating aspect of this piece is that is has a sharp assay mark for London 1924 - and as yet this is the first London-hallmarked Ritchie piece to have come to light. Enthusiasts of Alex Ritchie's work, feast your eyes on this one, as on a rarity scale of 1-10, it has to rank around 11!