Maker · silver
Omar Ramsden
The leading name in English Arts and Crafts silver. Ramsden's hammered surfaces, Tudor roses and Latin inscriptions are instantly recognisable and have risen steadily at auction.
- Mark
- OR&ACD until 1919, then OR
- Active
- 1898 to 1939
- Place
- London
- Typical range
- £400 for a spoon to £8,000 for an important bowl or cup
Omar Ramsden trained in Sheffield and at the Royal College of Art, and set up in London in 1898 with Alwyn Carr. The partnership mark OR and ACD was used until Carr left in 1919, after which Ramsden registered OR alone and ran a large workshop until his death in 1939. He rarely made the pieces himself, but the design vocabulary is his.
What to look for
Hand-hammered surfaces left visible, applied Tudor roses and oak leaves, spot-hammered or “planished” finishes, and the inscription “Omar Ramsden me fecit” engraved on the underside, which appears on most pieces after 1919. Many pieces are dated in the inscription, which makes the date letter easy to check.
What moves the price
Bowls, cups, mazers and presentation pieces lead. Spoons, small dishes and cigarette boxes are more common and more affordable. Early partnership pieces with Carr carry a premium among collectors. Enamel and stone-set pieces, and anything with a documented commission, go higher still. Later reproductions of the style by other workshops exist; the inscription and the mark are what count.
Sale prices
Ramsden at auction.
Hammer, excluding premium.
| Date | Object | Saleroom | Estimate | Hammer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Jun 2026 | Omar Ramsden footed bowl, London 1928 Lot 56 | London | £1,200 to £1,800 | £2,600 |