A stunning and rare antique circa 1906 figural silver plated tureen in the shape of a turtle, designed for serving terrapin or turtle soup at the Belmont Hotel in New York City! The Belmont was once one of the grandest hotels in the city, however it was only open for a little more than 20 years; it stood across the street from the Grand Central terminal at the corner of 42nd and Park from 1906 to 1931.

This tureen is the only one of its kind I’ve ever come across, and it is in amazing condition for its 100+ year age. All three original pieces are still present, and without any major dents or damage. There are some small marks and signs of use you would expect from old hotel silver, a few speckled spots of discoloration/plate loss can be found only when you look very closely. It has polished up beautifully, I have left some minor tarnish to highlight the detail of this piece, but it will polish even further if desired. Marked underneath the oval platform at the bottom that served to hold an oil burner to keep the soup warm, there is no date stamp (which means it is pre-1928 when Reed and Barton started stamping their pieces) but I believe this was probably made for the hotel’s opening in 1906.

Measures a bit over 12 inches long by 8.5 inches tall by 8 inches wide. This piece is very heavy and well made, it weighs nearly 7 pounds empty!