I have an antique sterling silver dish/bowl that I want to know the
history of--where it was made and when, what it might be worth, etc.
It has three hallmarks--a horse's head (including a mane and an eye)
facing right, something symmetrical in the middle (my husband thinks
it might be two stags facing each other but I'm not sure), and finally
three identical birds, two on top and one on the bottom forming a
triangle, with long beaks, all facing left. At the opposite side of
the dish the number 1270 is printed. The dish is quite plain except
for a pretty rope pattern around the edge. It is oval and measures
about 8.25 inches long and about 5.5 inches wide. The inside has 5
small pit marks, and the underside has one. It weighs 8.5 ounces on my
postal scale. |
Request for Question Clarification by
jessamyn-ga
on
14 May 2002 11:03 PDT
Hi and thanks for writing. I have been digging through
silver hallmark guides and have found things that look like
close matches, but nothing as specific. I had a few questions
to clarify
1. do you have any idea if the dish is American or European?
The lack of a lion's head seems to indicate that it's not from
London but I pored over the American silversmith marks and didn't
find anything that was even close, the bird heads specifically
haven't shown up in of the silver mark lists I've been searching.
2. from left to right, does the mark read horse, unidentified mark,
birds, so the birds and horse are looking inward not outward?
3. I know this is a bitof a judgment call, but does the dish seem
*very* old or more contemporary, with regards to the finish work and
craftsmanship
thanks for your assistance
|
Clarification of Question by
mama2em-ga
on
14 May 2002 12:05 PDT
Actually I have digital photos of it if that would help (of the
hallmark and the bowl itself), but I don't know how to post it! Would
that help?
I have no idea if it's American or European. My gut says American but
I'm really not sure... I couldn't find any of the hallmarks anywhere
either, in London or American listings (but I only have one book so it
of course doesn't have all of them).
From left to right, yes. Both birds and horse are looking inward.
As to whether it looks old I don't know. I think it IS old, just by
the fact that it was in my great aunt's collection, and another dish
she had was engraved 1915. (This may not be that old, of course--I
really don't know.)
I'm hoping to find out what the hallmarks mean, what the 1270 means,
and what it might be worth should I choose to sell it.
|
Request for Question Clarification by
jessamyn-ga
on
14 May 2002 12:32 PDT
Thanks for all the extra information. If you could post the digital
photo, that would be great, but not mission-critical. You could always
use a free web space site like Yahoo's Geocities, or if you have email
that email account *might* come with webspace but it's all not
strictly necessary. The 1270 has also been baffling me as well because
normal silver marks, as you likely know, seem to go up to 1000.
|
Clarification of Question by
mama2em-ga
on
14 May 2002 12:51 PDT
OK--I just uploaded them, but the hallmarks aren't as clear as I'd
hoped they'd be (I'm not the greatest on computers, but they look a
lot clearer on my home computer than they do from the geocities
page---hmmm...). Anyhow, here it is:
http://www.geocities.com/jessica_holden/my_page.html
|
Clarification of Question by
mama2em-ga
on
15 May 2002 19:06 PDT
Now that I look at it, your mother could be right--maybe it IS a
unicorn! Does you mom have ANY idea what it could be? From America or
Europe? What the 1270 might be? Maybe this is a lost cause... But
thanks for all your effort!
|
Request for Question Clarification by
webadept-ga
on
17 May 2002 19:19 PDT
I believe the birds are Pelicans. The pelican is an old Christain
symbol for Atonment. The shape of the bowl is about right for a
Lavabo, and this would fit with the year and the symbols.
What kept me from placing this in the Answer area, and remaining here
in the Clarification, is the recent comments that place the horse as a
unicorn. If that is so, then this is not a Lavabo.
I would take the bowl to a Catholic Priest if one is near you and ask
if the bowl is right for a Lavabo or a Paten.
It would not be uncommon for the 1270 to be a year/date stamp. Not in
that time period. But like I said, if its a Unicorn, then its probably
not antique, or at the very least, not made in 1270.
webadept-ga
|
Clarification of Question by
mama2em-ga
on
19 May 2002 15:31 PDT
Based on where I got the bowl, I doubt it could possibly be centuries
old (much as I might like it to be!!). And though someone below in the
comments section suggested the marks are too large to be hallmarks,
well, they are simply large because I used a close-up photo and blew
it up. The marks are quite small and typical of all the other sterling
hallmarks I have seen.
|
Here's some contact information I use to answer collectible questions
at my library:
Antiques & Collectibles
American Society of Appraisers - www.appraisers.org
Search for appraisals by subject.
Antiques Roadshow - www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/roadshow/
Complete information on this PBS program. Includes dates of broadcast,
locations and tips of the trade.
Art House - www.arthouse.net
Toys, Disney, Hummel, Lladro. . . .
Art Price - www.artprice.com
A listing, by artist, of work recently sold. For detailed information
on amounts and biographies one must register.
Christie's - www.christies.com
Lots of free information about auctions and appraisals, but to find a
particular item, there is a charge to subscribe.
Curioscape - Directory for Antiquing and Collecting -
www.curioscape.com
Subject-based directory of antique and collecting sites. You may
search by word or browse the directory categories.
eBay - www.ebay.com
eBay is the world's largest personal online trading community.
Provides one-to-one trading in an auction format on the Web. Start
with the "Site Map".
icollector.com - www1.icollector.com
Search by dealer, gallery, auction house, artwork. Provides an
up-to-date listing of featured auctions and auction catalogs.
Internet Auction List - www.usaweb.com
Directory of auction sites on the Internet.
Kovels' Online Antique and Collectibles Price Guide - www.kovels.com
Prices, marks, auction houses, collectible clubs, repair services. May
be best for its list of appraisal services.
Sotheby's - www.sothebys.com
Sotheby's Web site contains information on their sales and offers
information on their various departments. An auction glossary is
especially helpful.
West Coast Peddler - www.westcoastpeddler.com
Journal of antiques and collectibles for the Western U.S.
Web Values - www.webvalues.net/art
Home and garden, coins, stamps, frames, supplies.... |
