2009 ASCAS membership
LAST WARNING
Members still interested in ASCAS and its activity are
invited to send an e-mail to:
confirming their 2009 membership (the simplest way is to
use the 'reply' button on our January e-mail).
No action is required to unsubscribe. Members not confirming
their membership will be automatically deleted and shipping of
our monthly Newsletter will be suspended on February
2009.
Please IGNORE this anouncement if you have confirmed your interest, by email,
within the last month.
Giorgio Busetto
ASCAS Secretary
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Rod Elser and Jane Carroll present:
Silver Open Salts at The Victoria & Albert Museum
(part 1)
The Victoria and Albert Museum -or just the "V&A" as it
is more commonly known- is located on Cromwell Road in
London and was established in 1852. It started as the
Museum of Manufactures but was soon renamed the South
Kensington Museum. Over the next few decades its
collections expanded rapidly so that by the end of the
century a new building was designed and built......
click here
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Christophe Ginter presents
An Imitation of Louis XV Hallmarks
Une imitation de poinçons Louis XV
... In this page I analyze the hallmarks of a silver
sweetmeat dish decorated with rich embossing of cherubs
and floral motifs, apparently marked with French 18th
century hallmarks.....
click here
click here
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Welcome to new ASCAS members:
Bette G. Bell - USA
Debbie Bonner - USA
Jean Brouns - the Netherlands
M J Coles - England UK
Trevor A. Cozyris - USA
Ken Davies - Canada
John Wade Long Jr - England UK
Laura Long - USA
David McKinley - England UK
Massimo Novero - Italy
Eric Roberts - USA
Diane Winter - USA
Members' Window # 56
Robert Massart presents:
A Silver Cigarette/Cheroot Case: Birmingham 1882
An early Victorian Arts & Crafts solid silver cigarette
or cheroot case in outstanding condition, assayed in
Birmingham in 1882.
The maker, silversmith Constantine & Floyd, still operated at Caroline Street,
Birmingham in 1882....
click here
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according to 'Tardy' the Hamburg mark castle with "C"
refers to 1711 (but I'm perplexed about this dating. The taste
of your piece seems to be 19th century).
I hope to receive further information also about the maker.
Giorgio Busetto
Terry Morgan writes:
... I recently purchased a silver toggle which has the hallmark
shown. Can you help in identifying the hallmarks? It looks like
a £ sign followed by an onion shape followed by 800.
There are crossed ribbon swags around the toggle.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Regards and best wishes
Terry Morgan
the mark of your napkin ring is German and belongs to
Lutz & Weiss. You may find information and images in my private
website at
www.silvercollection.it/germansilverhallmark2DUE.html
Giorgio Busetto
Francesca Rapposelli writes:
... recently I had the opportunity to observe a "vase" of which
I'm unable to identify the marks.
I join some photos hoping that someone will be able to identify
its marks.
Regards
Francesca Rapposelli
I believe that your "vase" is a "portable font in pail
form". About its marks, I have only a hypothesis about their
origin:
- mark at the center: its a cross used in Malta (with an outline
or without an outline) from mid 18th century, and inside a
circular outline from 1857 to 1922;
- mark on the right: "open left hand inside a shield": it's the
mark used in Malta from 1798 to 1800 ( Napoleonic invasion) and
from 1801 to 1809 inside a different outline;
- mark on the left: it's hardly readable, but in my opinion it
may be a mark of the Kingdom of Naples (Maltese silver with
Naples marks is often found).
Any further suggestion, addition or correction about these marks
will be greatly appreciated.
Giorgio Busetto
Michael Deshaies writes:
... I just picked up mystery piece with the hallmarks
deliberately grinded off. I have searched the entire piece and
see no other hallmarks.
It is a "huge" bowl at just over 9" wide not including handles
and about 4 inches deep and very thick and solid weight is
"35.5" o.z.
My acid test shows it is a high grade silver probably over 900.
Can you please post this on the next newsletter and can you let
me know what you think.
My friend told me maybe Russian or Islamic, I thought maybe
Mexican.
Thanks again,
Michael Deshaies
it's difficult to reply to your question. I have no idea
about the origin of your piece. (your hypothesis is possibly
right).
I'll publish your question in January Newsletter.
Giorgio Busetto
Luca Mastrodonato writes:
... I recently bought an object of which I'm unable to identify
use and function. It is in made of solid silver but it is
unmarked. I exclude it can be a holy water font and I was
suggested it may be a stirrup(???)
Do you have any idea about its use?
Thanks for your help.
Luca Mastrodonato
it is indeed a silver stirrup. It's typical artifact made
in South America and I saw some other examples in catalogs of
South American Silver Exhibition.
This is the description found on two similar examples exhibited
in "Trois siècles d'orfèvrerie Hispano-Americaine"(Paris, 1986):
Etrier de femme, Rio de la Plata,(?) première moitié du XIX
siècle (Stirrup of Woman, Rio de la Plata (?), first half of the
19th century)
Giorgio Busetto
Penney Cabrera writes:
... I was wondering if you could help me identify a silver
marking. I cannot find this anywhere. Only thing close I found
is from Tiffany with the initials jcm.
I have attached two photos of this bracelet.
Thank you so much!!
Penney Cabrera
the maker is an unidentified silversmith of Mexico
(Guadalajara: eagle 157).
Giorgio Busetto
Paola Continella writes:
... I'm trying to identify the marks of this set of spoons.
Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.
Paola Continella
the mark with female head is the "head of Ceres toward
left" used in the Regno delle Due Sicilie (Sicily). This mark
was used in the Assay Offices of Catania, Messina, Palermo and
Trapani, from c. 1830 to May 31, 1873.
On the bottom right corner of this mark there is a number (7 or
8) or a letter (E) that I'm unable to identify from your photo.
The mark "JPT" is maker's mark while the other mark should be
assayer's symbol.
Giorgio Busetto
Debbie Bonner writes:
... I need help in identifying a silver plate tray I have that
is 65 years old. I thought it was Georg Jensen, from design, but
it is only marked "MADE IN DENMARK" and below that is a small
whale with an upturned tail.
Thank you,
Debbie Bonner
Your item is undoubtedly of Scandinavian taste but I have
no idea about its mark.
I trust in ASCAS members for the identification of this mark
Giorgio Busetto
Luciano Fiorentini writes:
... I recently bought a pocket watch and I'm researching
information about its marks.
I hope that someone can be of help.
All the best.
Luciano Fiorentini
I'm not well aware on the marking of gold items,
particularly about the use of date letters.
Anyway I can supply this information about the marks of your
watch:
- crown, leopard's head and 18, are London marks for 18 carat
gold. This "crown" was used from 1798 to 1931;
- date letter (I believe to be a gothic "U"): year 1855;
- maker's mark "HG inside an oval": Henry S. Gilling, gold case
maker, mark registered on 6 October 1848.
Henry Slader Gilling is first recorded as a rose engine-turner
from 1839 to 1845 at 41 King Square and then in 1846 and 1847 as
an engine-turner at 2 Upper Charles Street, Northampton Square,
Clerkenwell.
He then went in business with Peter Clerc, trading as Gilling &
Clerc, listed as watch case and dial makers at 1 Upper Charles
Street. The partnership was dissolved in 1848 after which H.S.
Gilling continued as a watch case and dial maker at the same
address. He was succeeded in 1862 by Percy Gilling.
Giorgio Busetto
Nikica Vuletic writes:
... I bought an object that I really don't know what to do with. But there is a serious question in
accordance with this object.
Description: Silver-plate or silver cocktail shaker.
Form: octagonal, 25 cm high, weight 750 gr.
Stile: Art Deco
Hallmarks:
1. Menner Stuttgart - O.K. famous retailer for jewellery, gold, silver etc.
2. Logo containing a fox and letter M that corresponds to Menner workshop
3 Crescent and crown hallmark standard German silver hallmark
4. Fineness incused oval form with text A800 - this makes me believe that this is silver plate rather
than solid silver.
In fact question is if a German silver or 'silver' object is hallmarked with Crescent and Crown hallmark
if there is any chance that it is not solid silver. If, let's say, object was Italian and has only A800
sign I would promptly say 'silver-plate' because all forums and reference books say A800, Arg800, EP800
etc - no chance to be solid silver.
I hope you understood my doubt regarding this.
Moreover the shaker is made from three separate parts. Only the biggest is hallmarked. Is it normal for German silver objects that some
smaller pats of a multipart object are not marked at all?
Yours or your member’s answers are welcome even if not positive.
Best regards
Nikica
Italian items marked ARG800 or similar aren't accompanied by official maker's identification
mark (number and province code). Your item bears official German marks of silver (crescent and crown).
Any suggestion about the meaning of A800 mark
will be welcome.
Giorgio Busetto
"A PAGE per MONTH"
In this column we present a page
obtained from makers' brochures, books, auction catalogs,
advertising or whatever other printed paper related to silver,
which 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 month ASCAS presents an ancient advertising of WALKER &
HALL
Electro Works N° 11 Howard Street SHEFFIELD
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Walker & Hall was established in Sheffield by
George Walker. Becoming an assistant to Dr. John Wright,
who had conducted important experiments in
electroplating, he secured the royalty of electro
plating for Sheffield and began the business in 1845 as
electroplater trading as Walker & Co and from 1848 as
Walker, Caulson & Hall. In 1853, in partnership with
Henry Hall, the trade was continued under the style of
Walker & Hall, being joined later by John Edward
Bingham. The firm was described "electroplaters, gilders
and bronzers, manufacturers of spoons, forks and silver
plated cutlery at Electro Works, 9,11, 13 & 15 Howard
Street, Sheffield". After the retirement of J. Walker
(1864) and of H. Hall (1873), the business was continued
by J.E. Bingham who was joined by his brother Charles
Henry Bingham and, later, by his son Albert Edward
Bingham. In 1892 Walker & Hall purchased the old
manufacturing business of Henry Wilkinson & Co.
In 1920 the Walker & Hall was converted into a limited
liability company under the style Walker & Hall Ltd. In
1963 Walker & Hall Ltd was combined with Mappin & Webb
Ltd and Elkington & Co Ltd into the British Silverware
Ltd which closed in 1971. Afterwards Walker & Hall Ltd
came under the control of Mappin & Webb Ltd group and
was reformed into a solely retail outlet for jewellery
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"A WORD per MONTH"
In this column we presents an abstract
from a page of the "What is? Silver Dictionary"
courtesy of
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PODSTAKANNIK
TEA GLASS HOLDER
The Russian silversmiths created pieces which were
found no place else on the world.
The Russians, unlike others Europeans who drink their
tea from handled cups, use to drink tea from a glass.
Obviously this creates a heat problem. The podstakannik
or tea glass holder is a vessel used to hold the glass
avoiding the hot tea to scald the hand.
It is a cylindrical container with a handle on the side
properly shaped to hold the tea glass........
more
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"A BOOK ON MY SHELF"
In this column we present books, new
or ancient, dealing with silver in all its aspects (history,
marks, oddities...). This isn't a "book review" but only a fair
presentation of some useful "tools" that anyone may have in the
shelf of his bookcase.
ASCAS members are invited to contribute to this column
(click to enlarge images)
The "book on the shelf" of this month presents:
Guide To
RUSSIAN SILVER
HALLMARKS
by Paul L. Paulson
Printed in The United States of America
First Edition
1976
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Closing our JANUARY 2009 edition of
ASCAS Newsletter I hope you have appreciated its content.
Your comments, suggestions and advice will be of great help.
My thanks to Debbie
Bonner, Penney Cabrera, Jane Carroll, Paola Continella, Michael
Deshaies, Jayne Dye, Rod Elser, Luciano Fiorentini, Christophe
Ginter, Robert Massart, Luca Mastrodonato, Terry Morgan,
Francesca Rapposelli, Kelli Rooney, JoAnne Wilkinson, for their
invaluable contributions.
Giorgio Busetto
Secretary
DISCLAIMER AND PRIVACY POLICY
ASCAS is a community of people having a common
interest in antique silver.
It is a non-profit association without commercial links.
Membership is open to whomever has a true interest in
this subject matter.
ASCAS has no real property and no fees are requested nor
accepted from members.
ASCAS keeps in touch with its members only through
periodical newsletters, e-mails and web-site updating
and ignores and is not responsible for any other
activity pursued by its members.
Likewise, ASCAS is not responsible for opinions,
evaluation and images displayed, and in any form
published or supplied for publication, by its members
who, in any case, maintain the property of their works
and assure the respect of national and international
legislation about Intellectual Property.
ASCAS does not have the full addresses of its members (only
town, country and e-mail address are requested for
membership).
ASCAS handles and protects with care its members e-mail
addresses, will not disclose the addresses to third
parties, will use this information only to reply to
requests received from members and for communications
strictly related to its activity.
These rules are expressly accepted by submitting the
membership request.
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newsletter # 56 - JANUARY 2009
