Two new articles for ASCAS website

Dorothea Burstyn presents: Designed by Architects, Metalwork from the Margo Grant Walsh Collection This exhibition features metalwork pieces designed by prominent architects from the 19th to the 21st century. The involvement of architects in decorative arts has its roots in the concept of the Gesamtkunstwerk, a term generally attributed to Richard Wagner, who saw his operas as an integral artwork of music, theatre and visual art....... click here

Jack F. Wilson presents: Anointing Spoon Replicas in Silver and Silver Gilt from Great Britain   with the addition of the List of Silversmiths present in Jack F. Wilson Collection and other makers known to the author - part 1 - ...Authorities agree that the oldest silver spoon known to be English in origin is the Coronation Spoon, preserved among the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London, and that it most probably has been used in Coronations of British Monarchs since the 12th or early 13th Century. It is made of silver gilt, and is the only remaining piece of the original Royal Regalia. Some of the other items of the Regalia were disposed off by Charles I, the remainder were sold or melted down at the time of the Commonwealth....... click here

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New members

Welcome to new ASCAS members:  

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Members' Window # 48

Robert Massart presents: A French Silver Mustard Pot ... a sumptuous pear shaped solid silver mustard pot, made in Paris, France, last quarter 19th century. Its beaded upper border is pierced with a row of linking scrollwork while a ribbon of horizontal lines separates the lower part realized with applied grape leaves and bouquets of roses......... click here

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

Sue Jukesy writes:
...Please find attached a picture of an item I am trying to identify. It is marked on the bottom Fraget W Warszawie and I think it is silver or silver plated. It is very heavy. Can you help please?
Thanks
Sue
 

Ben Blonquist writes:
...I am writing to enquire about my six pieces silver tea and coffee set. I would like to know about its origin.
I send pictures of the complete set and the five marks it has.
Yours faithfully.
Bruno V.

Paola Continella writes:
...I'm researching information about the marks of this flatware set (spoons:20,5 cm. - forks: 21,5 cm.). I believe they are Dutch but I'd greatly appreciate your help for the identification of their marks.
Thank you in advance
Paola continella
 

Your flatware set isn't Dutch but Kingdom of Sardinia (Italy). They bear these marks:
- Torino (Turin) town mark (bull's head) used in the period 1824-1872;
- silver fineness 800/1000 mark (cross of SS. Maurizio and Lazzaro);
- maker's mark of silversmith Giovanni Battista Borrani (bull's head with B and B letters). He belonged (possibly) to Borrani family (Giuseppe Felice and his son Pietro), renowned Turin silversmiths and suppliers of Savoy Sovereigns.
Giorgio Busetto

Joel Arem writes:
...My wife and I have been acquiring beads for more than 25 years and have discovered in our stock a large box of antique (19th C?) Chinese silver beads, needle holders, locks, chains and pendants. I have attached photos of one type of silver bead. I have been having very little success in getting ANY information about this material, despite extensive web searching.
I would be grateful to hear from any member who has experience with or information about old Chinese silver beads and utility objects.
MANY thanks.
Joel Arem

Mike Whitehead writes:
...I've been trying to date a piece I've inherited, with no success. Please can you help me, in telling me the date and what the piece is? I've enclosed some pictures including the hallmarks and the stamp on the bottom.
I've been told it's a 'love cup' is this true?
Yours sincerely,
Mike Whitehead

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Wilko Rook writes:
...I found some spoons and a knife on a flea market and I'd wish to know something about their marks. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely yours
Wilko Rook

Spoons are 800/1000 silver made in Germany. The maker is Koch & Bergfeld - Bremen
Founded in Bremen in 1829 by Gottfried Koch and Ludwig Bergfeld (born in Hannover). Executed 1900-10 designs by Hugo Leven, Albin Muller and Henry van de Velde and in the twenties and thirties by Gustav Elsass and Bernhard Hotger
The firm is still active with a wide production of flatware and hollowware. (more in www.silvercollection.it)

Knife and fork are silver plate made by George Waterhouse & Co, Sheffield (possibly, 19th century)
Giorgio Busetto

Your spoon bears Russian marks, St. Petersburg 1857. I believe that the maker is Kíveri Abragam Khenrikson and the assayer Zdvdard Fedorovich Brandenburg (rough translation from Cyrillic alphabet).
Giorgio Busetto

Nancy Zarod writes:
...I have a German fork with the following marks: B for Bruckmann with a train and then a 90. My question is: What was this type of fork used for? I am baffled by the closed tines. I have never seen such a thing.
Thought maybe someone more expert could help me.
Thank you for your kind consideration.
Regards,
Nancy Zarod

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Replies to questions

Ben Staunton receives these replies about his pair of casters ( see April Newsletter)   Giovanni Ciceri writes: ... In my opinion they are not English. The shape of the casters is quite unusual for the period indicated by the hallmarks. The hallmarks are not clear enough to draw a conclusion, but it seems that the lion passant is not guardant (indicating a date after 1820) and the leopard head is crowned (indicating a date before 1820). Furthermore the position of the duty mark between the lion passant and the leopard head is not usual in British hallmarking (the duty mark is usually the last one). The hallmarks should be struck on the body of the casters and on the removable tip. Marks on mobile parts are usually not completed and include at least the lion passant (more frequently the lion passant the maker mark and the duty mark, but very seldom the leopard head). Pseudo-hallmarks similar to those in use in the UK have been often found on British Colonial silver, including some Canadian and USA manufactures in XIX and XX century. Usually they do not represent a complete set of hallmarks and are more or less different from the original ones. I hope this can help Kind regards Giovanni Ciceri www.Argentinglesi.com Alan Yates writes: ... It is most unusual for any quality item to have well struck marks for silver, assay office, and the regent but nothing for the date or maker. Has Mr Staunton considered whether the marks are pseudo marks and if the castors are in fact Chinese export? Regarding the absence of the makers mark, I would not devalue the item unless such mark had been rubbed out of existence. Why does Mr Staunton suspect that there was once a third larger castor making up a set of three? Kind regards Alan Yates Nicolas Christol receives this reply about the marks of his spoon ( see April Newsletter)   Janjaap Luijt writes: ... Nicolas Christol's spoon is called a 'jamlepel' (jam- or marmalade-spoon). The hook on the handle has to prevent the spoon of slipping into the jar. The maker's mark B2V is used by the company Bijkamp & co. in Steenwijk from 1946 until 1975. The date letter is g is for 1966. Met vriendelijke groet, Janjaap Luijt www.agandau.nl and www.silverresearch.org My tanks to Janjaap for his correction of my wrong dating of the spoon Giorgio Busetto Giovanni Ciceri supplies an addition to his "TRAVELLING FOR FAITH" article ( see article # 92)     JAMES BERESFORD SIMPSON (the proprietor of the Travelling Holy Communion Set) "In the 1881 census, there was a Rev. James Simpson living at Paxworth Bridge, a private house in the parish of South Walsham, Norfolk. There he was assistant priest. According to the census, he was born in 1821 in Jamaica. He was unmarried. His second name does not appear in the census. According to the 1908 Crockford, there was a James Beresford Simpson, who was curate at South Walsham, Norfolk. I presume that this was the same as the man in the census. If so, by 1908, he would have been aged 87. Crockford tell us that James Beresford Simpson was a B.A. of Oxford (Exeter College) in 1843 and proceeded to M.A. in 1845. He must have been ordained straight from university, as Crockford records that he was made deacon in 1843. He would have been aged about 22 then. He was ordained priest three years later in 1845." Information gathered and kindly supplied by Rev. Peter Yerburgh Nikica Vuletic receives this reply about his unusual item ( see April Newsletter)   Joanne Wiertella writes: ...Yes, this is a matchbox holder. I checked with a friend whose husband is a collector of Match Strikes. This container was intended to hold a box of matches. Often, though not always, there will be some place on the item (that is scored or ribbed) on which to strike the matches. Joanne Wiertella top page - page map   "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 a leaflet advertising by PARKER BROTHERS, 13 & 15 Winter Street, Boston, circa 1870, Importers and Dealers in Fancy Goods, Jewelry, Toys, Silver Plated Ware, Pocket Books & Albums     top page - page map   "A WORD per MONTH" In this column we presents an abstract from a page of the "What is? Silver Dictionary" courtesy of MONTEITH It is a vessel with notched rims used to cool drinking glasses. The monteith became popular during the last two decades of the seventeenth century. It may have a fixed or detachable collar with series of scallops, vertical or bent outwards, so that wine cups can be suspended by the foot allowing the bowl to be cooled by immersion in iced water......... more top page - page map   "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 is presented by Karin Sixl-Daniell: THE STORY OF GARRARD'S GOLDSMITHS & JEWELLERS TO SIX SOVEREIGNS IN THREE CENTURIES 1721-1911 Stanley Paul & Co, London, 1912   top page - page map     Web www.ASCASonline.org www.silvercollection.it   top page - page map   Closing our MAY 2008 edition of ASCAS Newsletter I hope you have appreciated its content. Your comments, suggestions and advice will be of great help. My thanks to Joel Arem, Ben Blonquist, Dorothea Burstyn, Giovanni Ciceri, Paola Continella, Jayne Dye, Sue Jukesy, Janjaap Luijt, Robert Massart, Wilko Rook, Karin Sixl-Daniell, Mike Whitehead, Joanne Wiertella, JoAnne Wilkinson, Jack F. Wilson, Alan Yates Nancy Zarod for their invaluable contributions. Giorgio Busetto Secretary top page - page map   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. email: silverassociation@yahoo.it