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A new article for ASCAS website

Lazar Freidgeim presents: Niello Drinking Horns of Kubachi Kubachi is the village whose name is known far beyond the borders of Dagestan (Russia). It is located high in the mountains. The Darghins live there, representatives of one of indigenous nationalities of Dagestan. During the middle ages the village was widely known in Dagestan and abroad as an important metalworking centre, where coats-of-mail, swords, daggers and the like were produced. This village is located very close to the Dagestan's capital Makhachkala. But it's more than 40 hours by train from the Russian capital Moscow. Dagestan is a small part of federal Russia. The name of the village - Kubachi - represents the Turkic from the Persian word "Zirihgheran", which means "makers of weapons". This land was mentioned by some Arab and Iranian historians and travelers as early as the 9th and 10th centuries. Silversmiths manufactured many different elements of arms and the costumes for warriors such swords, daggers, guns and cartridge belts, or belts...... click here

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New members

Welcome to new ASCAS members:

Margott Giroux - USA
Paul Grogan - UK
Coralia Jianu - UK
Mario Maffei - Italy
Julio Paniagua Marini - Italy
Annelise O'Hea - USA
Neale & Nessie Talbot-Scobie - Australia
 

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Mail to ASCAS: e-mail silverassociation@yahoo.it

David Boddy writes:
... Attached is what looks like a Konfyt fork as it is only 11 cms long. I say konfyt fork as at first I thought it might have been Cape Silver.
I think it is Dutch early 19th century as the style of the double drop on the back is typical Dutch.
The extreme left hand mark, an axe, is the Dutch .833 re-mark used in the Netherlands between 1814 and 1953. The DB is the makers mark but the other two marks have me stumped. Perhaps the konfyt {preserve} fork was also used in the Netherlands.
Any info you can give will be greatly appreciated.
David Boddy.

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Christophe Ginter writes:
...I am currently questioning the attached picture regarding York 1815 marks.
Who is the Silversmith JB (or JD) over WW?
Thank you for forwarding these puzzling marks to prominent ASCAS fellow members.
Christophe Ginter

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a name="RONCALLI">Enzo Roncalli writes:
... I need information about this silver coffee pot hallmarked London 1773.
I'd wish to identify the maker and possibly the crest.
Furthermore, what is the meaning of the little symbol besides the maker's mark?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Enzo Roncalli

The coffee pot is hallmarked London 1773 and the maker's mark is ": IC pellet between". In this period three silversmiths used a similar mark:
John Cormick (from 1760), John Cox (from 1763) and Joseph Creswell (from 1767). They were still active in 1773 as "smallworker" but I believe unlikely that a similar coffee pot has been made by a "smallworker".
Another maker using a similar mark was John Carter II, registered as "plate worker", but his hallmark was entered three years later (1776). Nevertheless Grimwade states for John Carter II "a similar mark found earlier. Not in register" and "there is evidence that he was supplying candlesticks to the firm of Parker and Wakelin as early as 1769 (Wakelin, Workman's Ledger)".
Adding these notes to the "journeyman mark" (you describe it as "the little symbol besides the maker's mark") it's possible that the maker of the coffee pot was indeed John Carter II (other hypothesis or suggestions by ASCAS members will be welcome).
The crest was identified as belonging to various English and Scottish families as described in the "A crest per Month" column in bottom page of this newsletter.
Giorgio Busetto

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Wladimir Armando Balaic writes:
... , I would like to know if you have any information on this piece. Manufacturer, year, country.
Wladimir Armando Balaic

The maker is John Gilbert (see my website at http://www.silvercollection.it/electroplatesilverG.html ).
The patent was released in 1855 (see my website at http://www.silvercollection.it/dictionarylozengemark.html ).
I suggest reading my webpage at http://www.silvercollection.it/dictionarydecryptingsilverplatemarks.html
Giorgio Busetto

Christophe Ginter writes:
... Maybe an ASCAS fellow member would be so kind to tell me who is the silversmith FD on this Mexican mark
Christophe Ginter

Peter Staniunas writes:
... I found a divided oval side dish by J.B. Chatterly & Sons, EPNS, Made in England.
I am curious to know if you can identify the time period of manufacture.
Sincere thanks,
Peter Staniunas

Your piece is marked ENGLAND (not MADE IN ENGLAND): it could be of early production (c. 1890/1900).
To date silverplate items see my suggestions at http://www.silvercollection.it/dictionarydecryptingsilverplatemarks.html
Giorgio Busetto

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Replies to questions

Alan Yates receives this answer about his coffee pot
(see January 2014 Newsletter)

The item appears to be plated to me at first sight, displaying a c. mid-19th century shape (I would say c 1850-60), but it would be good to know more about the object. The mark could point to Franz Schiffer whose excellent workshop does not appear after 1855, but if these marks pictured are the only ones, I would not want to assume it is made of solid silver.
Karin Sixl-Daniell

Ricardo Moreira receives this answer about his egg cup
(see January 2014 Newsletter)

The hallmark looks a bit unusual (it comes across as stretched on the pictures) and the marks are indeed not easily identified. The hallmark shows that the item would have been made between 1800 and 1806/07 which would also correspond with the design. The maker's mark looks like #1765 and #1766 in Waltraud Neuwirth's book Wiener Silber 1781-1866, where the maker is not identified either. However, the other marks on this page show marks for a Karl Giesswein. The marks' tablet on page 101 of the same book shows a mark for Karl Gieswein entered in 1792. On page 56, a jug made in 1805 by a maker KG is shown, both marks looking like the ones on the egg cup. Waltraud Neuwirth's other book Marks of Viennese Gold and Silversmiths 1781-1866 shows a mark for Karl Gieswein on page 136, Viktor Reitzner's book on Viennese silver ("Alt Wien Lexikon für Österreichische und Süddeutsche Kunst und Kunstgewerbe") mentions Karl Giesswein being active from 1792-1805 (page 197). Maybe his mark was modified a little (corners and not rounded corners) later on, which would mean that the makers was indeed Karl Giesswein.
Karin Sixl-Daniell

Adam Zulawnik receives this answer about his pair od candlesticks
(see January 2014 Newsletter)

The pair of candlesticks are of origin Brazilian. The marks "BK" are in reality BR, the mark "10" corresponds the mark "10 dinheiros" that is 833/1000 silver.
The mark "JG" corresponds the silversmith José Ferreira Guimarães (1855-1880) of Rio de Janeiro.
The pair of candlesticks are not sabbath silver but pieces used by the bourgeoisie in tableware and illumination
I hope have helped
Ricardo Moreira

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"A PAGE per MONTH"

In this column we presents a page obtained from makers' brochures, books, auction catalogs, advertising or whatever other printed paper, related to silver, that may be of interest for ASCAS members.
The images will be published at a "low resolution" level and for private and personal use only.
This column is published under the kind permission of Giorgio Busetto's website

 

This month ASCAS presents an ancient advertisement of: JAMES ALLPORT MANUFACTURER OF PLATED WARES Table Services, Epergnes, Bread Cake and Fruits Baskets CANDLESTICKS and BRANCHES The firm was active at 12 Weaman Row, Birmingham and 4 Thavies Inn, Holborn, London This image is part of the ADVERTISEMENTS IN SILVER - SILVER ADVERTISING section of www.silvercollection.it website

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In this column we present an abstract from a page of the "What is? Silver Dictionary"
courtesy of

TOAST RACK TOAST TRAY Toast rack or toast tray is a serving piece having vertical openwork partitions and a vertical ring for carrying several slices of toast (usually four to eight). The slices stand upright in each space, sometimes with a flat bottomed tray to support them. Early examples were in the form of a single row of vertical posts on a wire-ring base but later ones have circular wire loops to separate the slices...... more

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In this column we present marks, information and history of silversmiths and silver manufacturers.
This column is published under the kind permission of Giorgio Busetto's website

ROBERT FEAD MOSLEY R.F. MOSLEY & CO - R.F. MOSLEY & SON - MOSLEY & CO LTD Robert Fead Morley was born into a family of well-known London jewellery and allied trades manufacturers. Since the early 1800s several branches of the family were active or had connection with the jewellery trade around Hatton Garden area of London. Robert Fead Mosley (1841 - 1921) was the son of Cornelius Lewis Morley a "steel pen holder & pencil case makers & Birmingham & Sheffield factors". He began his own business in Sheffield and in 1864 when was listed as "scissor and table knife manufacturer, 214 Brook hill", moving to Portland Works in Portland Lane just off West Street in 1871 (Portland Works consisted of small units used as temporary manufactories for smaller businesses unable to keep a whole premises).... more

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