David McKinley presents:
Further revelations concerning the Harache workshop
Recent research into members of the Harache family of
goldsmiths who left France in the 17th century and
settled in London has revealed that a Peter Harache of
Little Newport Street was dealing with Richard Hoare the
banker between 1697 and 1705. According to E. Alfred
Jones writing in The Burlington Magazine for
Connoisseurs about casters made by him for Hoare, "In
1697 he made a set of 'the common sort with heads graved,
41oz. 19dwt'".....
click here
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Welcome to new ASCAS members:
Erika Basso - Belgium & Italy
Elizabet A. Clough - USA
Craig Dorman - USA
James S. Harris - USA
Carol J Krieks - USA
Kirk Williams - USA
Members' Window # 96
Dr. David Nikogosyan presents:
Marks of European Silver Plate: XI. Wellner, Holland
One of the mistakes often occurring on ebay.de auction
is the incorrect attribution of silver plated objects
with the one-word mark "Wellner" to the Aue factory
August Wellner & Sons. In reality, these items were made
in Amsterdam by the branch company Wellner Zilver
Fabrieken N.V. (in English Wellner Silver Factories
joint-stock company). According to my previous paper in
Member?s Window, from 1926-1927 the mark of the Aue
factory August Wellner & Soehne was changed to "Original
Wellner", in order to distinguish the items made by
Wellner branches in Amsterdam and Milano from those made
in Aue......
click here
Dr. David Nikogosyan recently updated the tenth issue of
his series on Marks of European Silver Plate:
Wellner Marks, adding images of two newly-found
marks.
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David Mckinley writes:
...Dear Giorgio,
I have recently re-opened my research file on The Gatcombe Cup
which is an important piece of 16th century English plate around
which is considerable mystery.
It is an exceptionally well made piece but it is the only piece
so far discovered with its particular maker's mark on it.
Because of its quality one would expect to find this maker's
mark on much other silver of the period but to date none has
come to light in this country. The reason may be that it could
be of German origin (possibly Nuremberg). Jackson-(Pickford
edition, p91) describes it as "a spray of leaves'. Picture
attached.
I would be most grateful if you will publish this picture and
ask if any member can identify it.
With all good wishes,
David Mckinley
Emil Fonfoneata writes:
... Could somebody help me with identifying the stamp on a
cigarette box and a cocktail shaker (design Sylvia Stave)?
The maker, period and country (PV 0,835).
Emil Fonfoneata
Marc Deconinck writes:
... I have some cutlery pieces and I'd wish to add some more
pieces to the set.
Could you please supply information about the maker's name (the
mark is LB)?
However it is marked 800, I was told that it's only plated?
Best regards
Marc Deconinck
I believe that your pieces are 800/1000 silver fineness.
I trust on the help of ASCAS members for the identification of
the maker.
Giorgio Busetto
Alan Yates writes:
... I research information about the origin of these small sauce
ladles.
Possibly they are Chinese pseudo hallmarks?
Any suggestion will be greatly appreciated
Alan Yates
Martin Folb writes:
... I have an American cut glass biscuit jar with a silver lid
bearing the mark shown in the Photo.
Any idea on the maker?
Any idea on the initials on the lid? I think they say FCT
Martin Folb
The maker is Whiting Manufacturing Co (see my website at
http://www.silvercollection.it/AMERICANSILVERMARKSWXYZDUE.html).
In my opinion the initials of the owner(s) are FCAT, but I have
no idea about their meaning.
Giorgio Busetto
Alan Yates writes:
... Richard Holmes, writing from South Africa, my home too,
asked for information on an elaborately decorated fork and spoon.
It looked Continental to me, and looked a good weight too. I
referred to my 1985 edition of Tardy's International Hallmarks
on Silver and it would seem that the hallmark is Oporto,
Portugal, 1870/1877.
I forgot to add that the guaranteed minimum purity of the silver
made prior to 1886 is 750 parts per 1000.
Alan Yates
Oskar M. Zurell writes:
... Here in short my answer: "crowned P in a shield" = Porto, in Portugal:
1877-1881 in use by the assayer Guilherme Guedes Mancilha. (Vol. I (XV c - 1887), page 14, number 133)
The fineness in this case would be the minimum fineness of '10 dinheiro' = 833-1,000.
"IC" mark in a horizontal rectangle was registered in Porto in 1865, by the assayer Vicente Manuel de Moura.
for the maker of the fork and spoon: José João Cardoso, from Porto (Vol. I -XV c - 1887-, page 108, number 1046).
This "IC" maker's mark was found on articles assayed in Porto in the period from 1877 to 1881.
(Vol. I -XV c - 1887-, page 332, notice on number 1046).
Source: "Marcas de Contrastes e Ourives Portugueses" ISBN 972-27-0773-6. Vol. I (XV c - 1887). 4th edition (Reprint of 3rd
edition) 1997, Lisbon.
Kind regards,
Oskar M. Zurell
In this column we present 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
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This month ASCAS presents an ancient trade card of:
THE BOSTON SILVER COMPANY
manufacturers of
FINE SILVER PLATED WARE
Little is known of this manufacturer, active circa 1890-1910 at
Bridgeport, Conn. (factory) and at 715 Washington
St, Boston (office)
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"A WORD per MONTH"
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TEA CADDY
TEA CANISTER
The tea caddy or canister is a closed container used
at a tea table as part of the tea service.
The earliest tea caddies belong to the early 18th
century but the use of these objects spread rapidly.
The word caddy seem to derive from the Malay kati
a weight equivalent to 1 1/5 lb, and as tea was sold by
the kati the name became by transference that of
the case in which it was bought.
Anyway it's doubtful whether the use of the word caddy
in this sense dates before the end of the 18th century.
Canister was certainly the name used previously and is
found as early as 1711 in an advertisement of the London
Gazette.....
more
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"A SILVERSMITH per MONTH"
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HUKIN & HEATH - HUKIN & HEATH LTD
The firm, active as
manufacturing silversmiths and electroplaters, was
established in Birmingham in 1855. In 1875 the firm
entered its mark in Birmingham Assay Office, while in
1879 the founders Jonathan Wilson Hukin and John Thomas
Heath entered their mark in London Assay Office.......
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)
In the "book on my shelf" of this month ASCAS presents:
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Treasures of the 20th Century
Silver, Jewellery and medals from the 20th
Century Collection of the Worshipful Company of
Goldsmiths
The Goldsmiths' Company
London MM
This is the catalog of the exhibition of pieces
from the extensive 20th Century collection of
silver, jewellery and art medals maintained by The
Goldsmith's Company. There are over 1500 pieces from
the 20th century alone, however, 569 of them are
included in this exhibition. Many of these works
were specially commissioned by The Goldsmith's
Company, whose mission is to encourage the
production of works like these from English
craftsmen. Each piece is illustrated in color,
including a number of full-page plates. The works
are arranged by decade. The book includes a history
of the "Ascot Cup Competition" and the story of the
beginnings of the modern silver collection that the
Company maintains to this day. All manner of objects
are in the collection including: trophies and cups,
silver services, flatware, boxes and other 'objets
de vertu', jewelry and medals. Every significant
British designer is represented in the collection.
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"A CREST per MONTH"
In this column we present images and
descriptions of Crests and Mottoes of British, Irish and
Scottish families as engraved on silver items.
HARVEY
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A family of Thorpe,
Norfolkshire.
The crest is described as "a dexter hand ensigned by
a crescent reversed".
The Latin motto is Alteri, si tibi (To another,
if to thee)
The crest was found on a couple of salt spoons
hallmarked London, 1815, by William Eley I and William
Fearn (mark as spoonmakers entered on 6.10.1814)
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Closing our May 2012 edition of ASCAS Newsletter I hope
you have appreciated its content.
Your comments, suggestions and advice will be of great help.
My thanks to Marc Deconinck, Martin Folb, Emil Fonfoneata, David
McKinley, Dr. David Nikogosyan, Alan Yates 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 # 96 May 2012
