Early 20th century silver novelty pin cushion, modelled as a hatching chick.  Hallmarked Sampson...

The chick displays general wear commensurate with the age and use.  There are surface marks and scratches and some loss of detail to the feather moulding in places, especially on the top of the head.  There are various dints in the metal and some of these are quite large.  These are mainly around the base and especially the lower section at the front of the shell.  A seam line is also visible here and there are a couple of holes in this seam line.  There is some discolouration around the edge on one side (lacquer?).  The hallmarks and maker's marks are still clear and legible.  There is also a registration mark, which is partly obscured.  The cushion appears to be frayed around the edges and is possibly a replacement.