A collection of hand crafted 19th century Maltese silver, will be sold at English auctioneers Rowley's on May 21. The collection which is expected to make more than €8,000, when it goes under the hammer, belonged to a Maltese national who settled in England and it provides a link to Malta’s imperial history, the auction house said.

Senior valuer and auctioneer at Rowley’s, Will Axon, said ‘Maltese silver was very rare and it was unusual to see such a large single collection in England.

All the pieces, stamped with the Maltese cross, date from the 19th century but they reflect the long tradition of craftmanship in Malta and its 200 year connection to Britain – the style and decoration of the silver bears the decorative signatures of Maltese makers and references to earlier 18th century Maltese designs but you can also see overtones of English Victorian taste.

"This silver has been in England for a long time but in many ways it would be wonderful to see it returned to Malta and we anticipate interest from Maltese collectors and museums, Axton said.

"One item in the collection, a small sugar vase and cover, illustrates the strong Maltese/ British connection and the country's complex international history. A sugar vase, which appears to be almost identical in design, was part of the Maltese Heritage Foundation’s (Fondazzjoni Patrimonju) exhibition, celebrating Maltese domestic silver making, at the Palace of Valetta, in 1995. The exhibition piece originated from the Palazzo Falson collection in Mdina.

The Maltese silver collection will be sold in Suffolk, England, as part of Rowley’s Fine Art and Antiques Auction.