On display is a detailed trophy casket provided by local merchants, Neal and Close – won by the Napier Fire Brigade in 1886 and the Spit Volunteer Fire Brigade in 1887 and 1888. These would've been treasured items and regularly polished so they shone to best effect.
With the advent of silver plating sometimes rigorous polishing meant the silver was polished away, exposing the base metal underneath – which you can see with some of the trophies on display.
Silver was also commonly used for creating medals which were awarded for military service and more commonplace activities, such as winning an event at the Hawke's Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Show or the New Zealand exhibition.
Following on from the theme of our Time for tea exhibition, silver was also a common item on the tea table for the wealthy and middle class in the form of tea caddies, teaspoons, jugs and sugar bowls.
By the end of the 18th century matching silver tea services on a silver tray had become very popular. While at the dining table silver napkins, cutlery, candlesticks, serving spoons and more were a sign of the host's wealth and standing in the community.
As a treasured item some kept their silver in the bank. During the 1931 earthquake and the destruction of the ASB bank, followed by the fires that ravaged the town, a number of silver items and other treasures were burnt and melted.
Many of these silver pieces were never claimed and these sad blackened and twisted mementoes of a terrible time in Hawke's Bay's history can also be seen in this exhibition.
As fashions changed silver, the ever versatile material, was melted down and reformed into new items meeting current societal trends. During war or economic uncertainty it wasn't uncommon for silver pieces to be converted to bullion bars or coinage.
With a huge range of glittering objects on display this exhibition creates a real feast for the eye. The team have worked hard to polish all the silver to best effect so come in and enjoy the opportunity to view these treasures from your collection.
* Silver: heirlooms from the collection open today, Saturday, January 26. Free entry
* Napier Hill Cemetery Tour with Social History Curator Gail Pope. Sunday, January 27. $15 Tickets available through Eventfinda or at MTG
* Last chance to view Nyree Dawn Porter: From Local Stage to Global Stardom closing tomorrow, Sunday, January 27. Free entry
* Last chance to view Te Aniwaniwa Nui mural by Ariki Brightwell (in the main foyer) closing tomorrow, Sunday, January 27. Free entry
* School Holiday Programme – Animation & Virtual Reality, Learn how to create an animation! Please bring a USB flash drive with you so you can take your animation home to share with the family. Tuesday, January 29, 10am-12pm (ages 7-12). Tickets $15 available through Eventfinda or at MTG
* Measure & Draw: Architecture Plans and Drawings. See objects in our collection store related to architectural artistry including proposed designs which were never realised. Tuesday, January 29 12pm-1pm. Please register through Eventfinda or at MTG to find out the location of this free programme. Spaces are limited.
* School Holiday Programme – Upcycle in Plastic, make your own undersea creature and bird feeder to take home with you. Please bring 2 x recycled, clear (and clean) plastic fizzy bottles with you - no milk bottles (ages 5 -12). Wednesday, January 30, 10am-12pm. Tickets $15 available through Eventfinda or at MTG
* Don Pasquale. From the creative team who brought you 2018's wild and wacky The Marriage of Figaro comes Wanderlust Opera's latest offering Don Pasquale. In this comic opera by bel canto master Donizetti, a miserly bachelor gets more than he bargained for when he enters into an arranged marriage. MTG Century Theatre, Wednesday, January 30, 7.30pm. Tickets available through Ticketek and at MTG from one hour prior to the performance
