A GLOSSARY of MILLED BANDS

Milled bands are an example of an early application of manufactured decoration to hand made objects - one of the first intrusions of the coming industrial revolution into the craft of silversmithing. Rolling mills produced both flat (sheet) silver for forming into hollowware from about the 1790's, and also produced bands of decorative silver to be applied for decoration and to strengthen edges such as rims and bases. In the period from about 1810-1840, a profusion of bands were produced. Some can be considered basic or standard patterns, as their use was widespread. Others, however, were regional or even proprietary in nature, and thus often can allow the maker of an unsigned or a retailed piece to be traced to a particular shop, or at least to a particular city or region - which in turn could help match an owner's initials with a particular family.