This elegant pepper shaker turned out to be more rare than I thought. First, from the mark this is definitely a Birmingham-based Barker Brothers product, but the company specialized in trays, serving pieces, and candlesticks but made very few salt and pepper shakers (I found only two). And second, I never found a single salt or pepper shaker, by any silver manufacturer, with this unusual, upsweeping design, reminiscent of a medieval helmeted knight or ancient warrior with heavy shoulder retailer pads of leather or metal.,
This is silverplate but it is a beautiful piece, with virtually no signs of wear and no cracks scratches, or repairs. The KGC monogram is my mother, for whom this was almost certainly a wedding present in `1936, so I have dated it from the 1920s. It might be older. It certainly is distinctive.
Product code: Vintage retailer 1920s Barker Brothers Silverplate Pepper Shaker - mono KGC