Michael Urban
receives this reply about his silver spoon
( see June Newsletter)
Robert Massart writes:
... I can give some information related to the
silver spoon presented in the mail by Michael Urban in
the latest Ascas newsletter.
The marks prove that the spoon was made in the
Netherlands.
- The "lion passant" in a hexagon with the figure "2"
stands for the silver purity of .833 (mark used between
1814 and 1953).
- The Minerva head (not a sovereign's head) is the duty
mark. The letter present on Minerva's helmet indicates
from which assay office it came.
- In my opinion the fancy D is a date letter, but as the
sharpness of the picture is not very good it is
impossible to define the date.
- Finally I presume that the letter R is the maker's
mark.
Kind regards,
Robert
A.
Branislav receives this reply about his Russian
Spice container
( see June 2008 Newsletter)
Adam Goldsmith writes:
... I showed the photographs of the Judaic
Spice container as sent in by A Branislav to a
friend of mine who is a Judaica collector. He
agrees that this is a fake as they are being
copied possibly in Poland and is at most ten
years old.
This mark has been seen on a couple of different
spice containers as well as a yad – the
instrument used to read the torah.
In addition it is most unlikely to find a spice
tower with human figures on it.
Hope this is helpful
Adam Goldsmith
An addition to the
mark on Dominique Bochet's sugar tongs
( see December 2007 Newsletter)
Christophe Ginter
writes:
... in a previous Ascas monthly
letter, I gave information on a French
silversmith, that is not fully relevant,
partly wrong.
Herewith I would like to give the
complete information:
Silversmith: Joseph Rogé
Appointed in Bordeaux (not in Blaye) in
1778,
Known activity up to 1789.
Two pictures attached:
- main mark (I RO GE)
-second mark (for smaller devices) = IR
(a heart between I and R),
over a Fleur de Lys, and under a crowned
Fleur de Lys.
With kind regards.
Christophe Ginter
"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 Decree
issued July 6, 1740 by H.M. the
King of Sardinia Carlo Emanuele
of Savoy dealing the matter of
Gold, Silver and Coins. The
decree forbade any export of
gold and silver under the
penalty of confiscation.
It's interesting to note
that CARLO EMANUELE issued the
decree as, "Dei Gratia",
King of Sardinia, of Cyprus and
of Jerusalem; Duke of Savoy, of
Monferrato, of Aosta, of
Chiablese and Genevese; Prince
of Piedmont and Oneglia; Marquis
of Italy, of Saluzzo, of Susa,
of Ivrea, of Ceva, of Maro, of
Oristano and of Sesana; Count of
Moriana, of Geneva, of Nizza, of
Tenda, of Asti, of Alessandria,
of Goceano, of Romonte, of
Novara and of Tortona; Baron of
Vaud and Faussigni; Lord of
Vercelli and Pinerolo, of
Tarantasia, of Lumellina and
Valsesia; Prince and Vicary of
the Holy Roman Empire in Italy.
|
"A WORD per
MONTH"
In this column
we presents an abstract from a page of
the "What is? Silver Dictionary"
courtesy of
|
WAX-JACK
BOUGIE-BOX
TAPER-BOX
The wax jack was a container
or a support holding up a taper,
treated with wax or turpentine,
lit to heat the block of sealing
wax used to fasten letters and
documents. Usually, a personal
seal with a design cut into the
bottom was pressed into the hot
wax to leave personal
identification.......
more
|
"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:
"Per allumare"
Argenti per la luce del Settecento
genovese (18th century
silver tools for illuminance in Genoa)
San Giorgio Editrice Spa - Genova -
December 2007
|
This is a new book edited in
December 2007 to illustrate the
exhibition of 18th century
Genoese silver held in the
Galleria Nazionale di Palazzo
Spinola in Genoa.
This book was a real surprise
for me as I found in the "snuffers"
chapter at page 89 the
reproduction of the Italian
version of John Evelyn's poem "Mundus
Muliebris" composed by Renata
Camozzi expressly for ASCAS and
published in November 2005 in my
article "Silver
toilet sets /
Servizi da Toeletta in argento"
(the article was written in
double version: English and
Italian).
Poem written
by John Evelyn (1690)
|
Italian
version by Renata
Camozzi
|
A new Scene to us next
presents,
The Dressing-Room and
Implements,
Of Toilet Plate Gilt,
and Emboss'd,
And several other things
of Cost,
The Table Miroir, one
Glue Pot,
One for Pomatum, and
whatnot?
Of Washes Unguents and
Cosmeticks,
A pair of Silver
Candlesticks;
Snuffers and Snuff-dish,
Boxes more,
For Powders, Patches,
Water Store,
In silver Flasks, or
Bottles, Cups
Cover'd or open to wash
chaps.
|
Ed ora si affaccia un
nuovo scenario:
il di Lei spogliatoio ed
il suo necessario
da toeletta d'argento
dorato e sbalzato,
e vari oggetti dal costo
elevato.
Di saponi e cosmetici un
armamentario:
il bagnomaria con il suo
necessario,
di candelieri una coppia
d'argento,
lo smoccolatoio per lo
spegnimento.
Lo specchio è sul tavolo
con lo scatolino
delle ciprie e dei nei,
pronto fin dal mattino,
con vasi e barattoli di
creme ed unguenti,
coppe, caraffe e
leggiadri argenti.
|
|
ASCAS is proud to be reputed
worthful to contribute to a
book edited by a so
authoritative Institution as
the Galleria Nazionale di
Palazzo Spinola of Genoa.
I firmly deplore noting that
the author of the chapter
about "Snuffers" (page 89 of
the book: on care of Ambra
Giacomini) forgot to
quote ASCAS article and the
literary authorship of
Renata Camozzi,
notwithstanding that ASCAS #
44 article (written two
years before and since then
freely viewable in our
website at
http://www.ascasonline.org/articolotoilet.html
)
was undoubtedly the
source of her reproduction.
Anyway a fine chapter
of an interesting
book on a little known
subject, and, moreover,
an excellent matter to
comment with my friends.
|
Closing our JULY
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 Dominique Bochet, Laurel
Boshco, Jayne Dye, Christophe Ginter,
Adam Goldsmith, R.T.H. Halsey, Susan
Harley, Kari Helenius, Josephine Lewis,
Patricia Lozano Robert Massart, Nina
Paris, Les Salvage, 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.
|
|
|
|
|