Unidentified Silver Server

[silverly]

Looking for any possible enlightenment about this piece. Many thanks in advance.

[AG2012]

Hi,
Suspicious joint between the handle and spatula; traces of filing and soldering (at least what I can see in the image). Looks like a spoon was used to replace missing (broken) handle.
Regards

[silverly]

Hi,
Suspicious joint between the handle and spatula; traces of filing and soldering (at least what I can see in the image). Looks like a spoon was used to replace missing (broken) handle.
Regards

Thank you for your comment.

[legrandmogol]

I think your piece is Scandanavian or from some other Baltic nation. piece looks fine to me

[silverly]

I think your piece is Scandanavian or from some other Baltic nation. piece looks fine to me

Thank you. Is it the style of dress that leads you to believe it is Scandinavian or Baltic or style of the item itself?

[legrandmogol]

definitely not the style of the dress because I don't know enough about that but the style of the piece and the method of marking were common in the Baltics.

[silverly]

Ok thanks. I have found 18th century dress throughout Europe to be too similar. Hopefully someone else can distinguish the dress and the period.

[legrandmogol]

the piece is not 18th century but c.1820-1860

[silverly]

the piece is not 18th century but c.1820-1860

Thank you!

[dragonflywink]

Like AG2012, I see issues here, and would also think it a marriage - the border on the blade doesn't follow the shape at the join to the handle, to my eye, that area appears to have been cut somewhat awkwardly, and the 'shoulders' (and rat-tail) on the handle look to be cut from the top of spoon bowl, overall, presenting an odd, incongruous joint. It also appears to me that the decoration on the blade is die-struck, something I've seen on German servers, both solid silver and silverplate, typically mid-late 19th century (the butter churning maiden a fairly common subject of paintings and illustrations) - for decades, I've owned a cake spade with a hollow handle marked '800' (adjacent indistinct mark looks to be crown & crescent) along with an 1872-1902 Austro-Hungarian import mark, the silverplated steel blade (stamped 'STAHL') has a charming die-struck depiction of a putto holding a bundt cake. Don't believe the handle of your piece would necessarily be of the same origin or age as the blade, but do believe it is likely Northern European...

~Cheryl

[silverly]

On sight it looks to me like it’s a matter of the quality of the workmanship where the handle is concerned. Either way I’m fine. Thank you for your assessment Cheryl.

[dragonflywink]

Just my opinion, but the piece really doesn't look quite right to my eye, so posting some quick examples to illustrate what I might expect to see, but again, just my thinking...


This 13 loth cake spade, with a die-stamped scene, shows the border following the shape of the blade all the way to the handle, the transition to the handle well-done and sturdy:





My worn silverplate cake spade, the border following the shape of the blade all the way around, with smooth transition to the handle:





This is my 1799 Danish fish spade, with engraved allegorical scene, the border also following the shape of the blade, and a clean transition to the handle:






~Cheryl