Silver mug offered by a 19th century actor unearthed at auction

The article, which is on sale for 3,950, is listed by Barry Sullivan, a well-known actor from the mid-1800s who was known to have performed in Shakespearian plays and was also theater director, for a friend, Dan Fred Spiller.

The Scottish mug with a sterling silver lid from Glasgow goldsmith George Edward & Sons displays images believed to be of Sullivan in various roles. She has seven of these vignette panels outside, while she is surmounted by a statue of a man in Shakespearean costume, who could be Sullivan himself.

Colin Stoddart of Dart Silver, an antiques specialist at Falkirk, fell on the mug at an auction in Edinburgh. It is described as being in first class condition and comes with its original case.

He said: For those interested in the background of theatrical connections, the engraving on the object and the story behind it will be more interesting than the mug itself. It’s an unusual room and you don’t see things like that every day.

The description attached to the item list reads: A very nice quality Scottish sterling silver lidded mug Barry Sullivan was a well known actor from that period who was known to have played in Shakespearian plays, we believe that images on the mug may be scenes from some of his acting roles.

Born in England to Irish parents in 1821, Sullivan was to become a lawyer, but was drawn to the scene after seeing a performance by Macbeth and joined a traveling theater company, eventually ending up in Edinburgh and then Glasgow, where he was a regular performer at the City Theater. He then spent two years running a theater in Aberdeen.

For the next 20 years he remained in Scotland, but an international career took off after a successful first appearance at the Haymarket Theater, London, as a Hamlet, after which he played in New York and later in Australia.

When the Stratford-on-Avon Memorial Theater was opened, Sullivan was selected to perform there.

After a period of ill health, Sullivan died in May 1891 of the flu. He was buried in Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin, where a statue of Sullivan as Hamlet by Sir Thomas Farrell marks his grave.

George Edwards and Sons was a goldsmith based in Buchanan Street.

The article, which is on sale for 3,950, is listed by Barry Sullivan, a well-known actor from the mid-1800s who was known to have performed in Shakespearian plays and was also theater director, for a friend, Dan Fred Spiller.

The Scottish mug with a sterling silver lid from Glasgow goldsmith George Edward & Sons displays images believed to be of Sullivan in various roles. She has seven of these vignette panels outside, while she is surmounted by a statue of a man in Shakespearean costume, who could be Sullivan himself.

Colin Stoddart of Dart Silver, an antiques specialist at Falkirk, fell on the mug at an auction in Edinburgh. It is described as being in first class condition and comes with its original case. It said: For those interested in the background of theater connections, the engraving on the article and the story behind it will be more interesting than the mug itself. It’s an unusual room and you don’t see things like that every day.

The description attached to the item list reads: A very nice quality Scottish sterling silver lidded mug Barry Sullivan was a well known actor from that period who was known to have played in Shakespearian plays, we believe that images on the mug may be scenes from some of his acting roles.

Born in England to Irish parents in 1821, Sullivan was to become a lawyer, but was drawn to the scene after seeing a performance by Macbeth and joined a traveling theater company, eventually ending up in Edinburgh and then Glasgow, where he was a regular performer at the City Theater. He then spent two years running a theater in Aberdeen.

For the next 20 years he remained in Scotland, but an international career took off after a successful first appearance at the Haymarket Theater, London, as a Hamlet, after which he played in New York and later in Australia.

When the Stratford-on-Avon Memorial Theater was opened, Sullivan was selected to perform there.

After a period of ill health, Sullivan died in May 1891 of the flu. He was buried in Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin, where a statue of Sullivan as Hamlet by Sir Thomas Farrell marks his grave.

George Edwards and Sons was a goldsmith based in Buchanan Street.