Vintage Lidless Brass Silent Butler/Crumb Catcher, 1950s

These were popular midcentury at dinner parties, used to remove food crumbs and cigarette ash that may have fallen on the table quickly and discretely. It may have originally come with a brush to sweep items off the table but we found none with it. At the end of a handle is a loop to enable one to hang it somewhere.
 
Most silent butlers had hinged tops but we confirmed online that not all did. This one features a basket of pentlhy in the center of the pan with flowers and leaves sprouting from it. The end of the pan is beautifully designed as well as the lines on the handle. 
 
We believe this belonged to our grandparents who threw many a dinner party in their San Francisco home.
 
It is in tarnished condition, with residue from previous polishing attempts in nooks and crannies. (We spent an hour polishing it from a dull grey to reveal the shiny brass underneath before giving up.) The handle has a dent in it and appears to have been repaired with soldering silver tone scars on the joint with the pan and atop the handle. 
 
H 11 3/4” x L 8” x D 2 1/2”
 
Disclaimer: We have tried to make sure colors shown in photos are representative of the real colors of each item. We have tried to identify all imperfections in descriptions, but we may have missed some. If you are unhappy with your purchase, let us know.