A Victorian silver commemorative trowel with ivory handle, of very good quality, with presentation inscription surrounded by scrolling foliage and flowers. The inscription reads "To commemorate the laying of the first stone of the New University of Cape Town by Mrs William Hawke, 28th February 1925". William Hawke of Hawke and McKinley was the architect responsible for the Groote Schuur campus of UCT, a magnificent set of buildings still in use today. UCT is ranked today as one of South Africa's leading universities. The hallmarks are very clear. Atkin Brothers was in business from 1853 to 1958, when they were taken over by CJ Vander Ltd. William Hawke and his partner W McKinley were trained and worked in the UK, Hawke worked in the London Admirality Office of Works, where he assisted with the design of the Simonstown sanatorium (now Naval Signal School). They had a flair for prize winning designs, and in 1905 they won first premium for the Cape of Good Hope University buildings (later UCT). They moved to Ca...
An attractive pair of French Silver grapefruit spoons, with double shell and foliage pattern. These spoons have extremely rare and strange hallmarks. The first is the Giraffe's head Recense mark (Poincon de recense) for Paris, only used between May and October 1838, a period during which the hallmarking system was being changed. It was applied to verify authenticity of marks for the interim period. In addition, th spoons have the Paris assay office mark (medium, 1819-1838), and one spoon has the Paris silver standard 1 (950 grade), whilst the other has the Paris silver standard 2 (800 grade), which as the spoons are identical in every other respect by the same maker, must be an error by the assay master during a confused period. The spoons also have additional marks alongside the makers mark which we have not identified (see photo).
A delightful Hanau silver box, the lid and sides decorated with embossed panels, including bowl of flowers, musical instruments, laurel wreath and claret jug, complete with goblet and grapes. The panels are bordered with a floral leaf design. The interior of the box is gilt. The box has a very clear set of Hanau pseudo hallmarks, which have been described as amongst the "most difficult and confusing area of silver hallmark study", as the marks were never registered and no records exist. The marks include pseudo crowned leopards head (Scheffler 538), pseudo lion passant (Scheffler 540) and pseudo dolphin (Scheffler 534). The small mark is genuine, being the Austro-Hungarian mark for imported articles between 1901 and 1921 (Tardy, pg 75). The mark, which also appears on the lid, has a capital B, indicating the city of Lienz. The Hanau silversmiths specialised in antique reproductions, generally of very good quality, so much so they often exhibited at international expositions. Gebruder Dingeldein was founded i...
A set of six silver teaspoons with enamel finials, 3 with a swimmer and 3 with a motorcyclist. The teaspoons have an attractive stem, and all 6 are fully hallmarked on the back of the bowl, and all are stamped "England". The enamels were hand painted, as the details on each differ slightly. We can only guess as to their origin, perhaps a special commission for a family involved in both sports.
A set of 6 Art Nouveau silver buttons, with a typical Art Nouveau style female head with long flowing hair. The detail is good, and the hallmarks are clear on all 6 buttons. The buttons are still in their original fitted case, which is intact and in working order, but scuffed on the outside and faded and worn in the interior.
An unusual Russian silver kvass jug in Trompe L'Oeil style ("deceive the eye"), which is a type of chased decoration designed to imitate a surface or texture, to create a 3D impression. The jug is typically Russian in style, and the texturing imitates rush work or raffia (woven birch wood strips). The detail is amongst the best we have seen, the silversmith was definitely a true artist. The interior of the jug is gilded, and the hallmarks on the base are clear, although part of the makers mark is worn. The handle also has the St Petersburg hallmark. The assay master is Aleksandr Frans Fan der Flit (or van der Vliet), who worked in St Petersburg 1882 to 1894, his Cyrillic initials are AF, source www.925-1000.com. This assay master is described as unknown by Watts (Russian Silversmiths Hallmarks 1700-1917, Geoffrey Watts, pg 73). We are not experts on cyrillic makers marks, so are not certain we have correctly identified the maker - all opinions welcome. Kvass is a traditional Russian and Ukrainian fermented b...
A set of 3 delightful fob medals, all won by H. Duncan of Camps Bay Amateur Swimming Club, South Africa. The first shows a lifesaver in action, with the words "The Royal Lifesaving Society, Competition Medal - Henry Cup, 1925, 1st, H. Duncan, Camps Bay A.S.C." The second shows a swimmer diving into a pool, and reads "RD 679779, C.B.A.S.C. Club C'ship, 1925-26, 3rd, H. Duncan". The 3rd, oval in shape, shows a swimmer with a yacht in the background, reads "C.P. Schools under 14 Team Race Championship, Gordons Cup, 1922". (C.P. stands for Cape Province). All 3 medals have clear hallmarks, the makers are Joseph Duffern & Co, William Hair Haseler and the unidentified JM respectively. WH Haseler had close ties with Liberty & Co.
Typically Cape konfyt (preserve) fork, in the Fiddle pattern. The hallmarks are also typically Cape (WC or WG?) in a shaped punch, between 2 crude stars. The makers mark is a little indistinct, either a worn or mistruck punch, or could even be overstruck. Given this is an unrecorded maker not listed in any of the reference books (as far as we can determine), it could have another Colonial origin.
A rectangular silver tray, beautifully engraved with a picture of the Frigate HMS (His Majesty's Ship) Broadsword, showing very realistic detail, including the flag. The engraving is superb, very fine detail of the ship, and good texturing of the clouds and sea. The tray has loop handles in the same reeded pattern as the applied rim. The tray is good quality, and was retailed by Asprey of London. The hallmarks are clear, except makers mark which is partially worn. "Asprey London" is stamped on the base. HMS Broadsword was a destroyer of the "Weapons" or "Battleaxe" class, it was built in 1944 and launched in 1946. Designed for antisubmarine warfare, she saw extensive service including USA, Malta and the Iceland Patrol. She was retired in 1964, but her name lives on in later ships. HMS Broadsword has an association (www.hmsbroadsword.co.uk, where we sourced the 2 original photo's of HMS Broadsword in action) and is affiliated with the city of Chester.
A magnificent set of 4 early Georgian cast scallop shell dishes, with "curled" handles, the ends "rolled over" to form a double scroll grip, in the manner of Onslow pattern flatware. The use of scallop shells is the subject of some argument, they have long been called "butter shells", but have also been described as "oyster scallops", salts, sweetmeat and sauce dishes (Judith Bannister, "Scallop Shells in English Silver, Collectors Guide, June 1967"). They are in the style of Paul de Lamerie, who popularised these in the 1730's, so much so that other makers followed suit. The shells are realistically cast, roughly life size and rest on 3 dolphin feet, also cast, in keeping with the marine theme. Each shell is also engraved with a family crest, a Maltese cross over a crescent, surrounded by branches. The shells are exceptional quality, they are solid and heavy, and the detail on both shells and dolphins is good. The hallmarks are visible but given the curved shape of the shell are not well struck, and are worn...
A pretty Glove button hook, with silver ring for suspension from a chain. The handle is polished honey coloured tigers eye, a gemstone, the silver hook has attractive engraving. Buttonhooks for gloves were much smaller than those used for boots. This could be worn as a necklace pendant. The hallmarks are small but visible.
Typical Scottish silver toddy ladle, in the Fiddle pattern, with engraved initail P. The ladle was made by Andrew Wilkie, a Dundee silversmith, but was assayed in Edinburgh. Silver by Wilkie is found with both Dundee marks (pot of lilies) and with Edinburgh marks, as is the case with other Scottish provincial silversmiths, brought about by the imposition of duty on hallmarked silver. According to Turner (Directory of Scottish provincial silversmiths and their marks), certain makers had a proportion of their silver fully stamped in Edinburgh, to keep their registration as a silversmith valid - and to keep the Revenue service happy that duty was being paid.
A lovely silver and enamel fob, depicting a footballer in early 20th century dress. The fob would have been attached to a silver "Albert" or pocketwatch chain. The hallmarks are very clear.
A lovely set of Jugendstil German 800 silver teaspoons, of very good quality. The spoons all have a cast crest depicting an eagle within a shield, over a cross within another shield. This has the appearance of a military crest, but this is not our area of expertise. The spoons are in their original box, marked "HG Berg, Guldsmed, Sandefjord", which is in Norway - so the possibility exists that the spoons were manufactured in Germany for the Norwegian market, so the crest could be Norwegian. Note - The spoons weigh 145 grams, not 160 grams as per our original description. Close inspection also reveals that 4 spoons are by maker S in circle (which we have not been able to identify), 2 spoons have a zig-zag makers mark, which we believe is Wilhelm Muller of Berlin, who worked between 1880-1940.
A magnificent set of unusual silver gilt cast teaspoons and sugartongs, all of exceptional quality, in original silk lined leather box. Each individual spoon is a replica of an earlier spoon design, covering 300 years of spoon history. They include (as best we can identify): 1. Moors head, twisted stem 2. Onslow with flowers 3. Bearded monks head (Rococo) 4. Pierced handle (rare 18th century design) 5. Apostle spoon. pilgrims staff and book 6. Bacchus (Roman clothes) holding wine goblet 7. Stag with antlers 8. Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, dancing with tambourine 9. The devil, with horns 10. Warrior with raised arm, helmet and brestplate 11. Angels head (blowing clouds?) 12. Cherub's head, ornate stem 13. (Sugartongs) Cupid with wings. Manoah Rhodes was established in Bradford, Yorkshire in 1836, Thomas Ackroyd Rhodes was appointed Managing Director in 1888. He lived in Frizinghall and Thornbury in Bradford. They also had premises in Hatton Gardens, London. They were Diamond merchants, Goldsmiths ...
A unique set of 12 Hanoverian teaspoons, six of which are shellbacks, the other six are scrollbacks. These spoons predate the common practise of making and selling flatware in sets, complete sets are extremely rare. As is usual of the period, these spoons only have 2 hallmarks, the sterling and makers mark, which given the small size of the spoons were often poorly struck. The makers mark is present on all spoons but discernable on only 8, with 5 being by Charles Hougham (one set of 3 and another set of 2), and one each by Hester Bateman, Ebernezer Coker and Thomas Devonshire & William Watkins. Nine spoons have contempory initials, and 2 have a later crest.
Unusual pair of knife rests, shaped as a pair of "jacks", with a central ball with 6 arms, each ending in a small ball. They are nice and solid, and a very good weight. In addition to clear hallmarks, they also carry a registration number (111097), indicating the design was registered by Roberts & Belk, and a small crest depicting a Roman oil lamp. Roberts and Belk were a well known firm, first established in 1809, and bought by CJ Vander in 1961.
Lovely set of German 800 silver teaspoons, probably produced for a 3rd Reich organisation, of very good quality and weight, with an attractive scrolling border an an unusual crest. The crest is an angel, a young girl in traditional dress with angels wings, holding a shield containing a crown over 2 crossed arrows and circle. We have been informed that this is a Hitler Youth crest, but as this is not our area of expertise we cannot confirm that. We would welcome any views or comments, and hope we are not offending anyone in the event that it is a Hitler Youth crest. The hallmarks are clear, makers mark HTB, actually H hammer B, for the Hanseatische Silberwarenfabrik AG of Bremen, Germany. It was founded by 2 Bremen jewellers, Brinkmann & Lange, and produced flatware between 1933 and 1937, when it was absorbed into Wilkens. They were approved suppliers to the German 3rd Reich, RZM mark no. 241 of the NSDAP, and are known to have supplied a number of different military organisations.
A lovely golfing memorabilia teaspoon, with enamel finial of a lady golfer in early 20th century dress. The teaspoon shaft has an attractive design, and the hallmarks are clear. A.J. Bailey worked from the Everest works in Tenby Street.
An extremely rare Cape konfyt (preserve) fork with tubular handle, with typically Cape prick engraving of foliage at the top of the handle. No hallmarks are present. The handle is similar to the Cannon handle pattern of early English flatware. Similar forks are illustrated in Heller's History of Cape Silver (Vol 2, pg 82) and Welz's Cape Silver (pg 68), these are by Johannes Combrink.
