Please, what is this hammered silver item?

Post by **admin** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 2:40 pm

At a glance, it could be a ladle or an ashtray, but knowing where and when it was made would help a lot. How is it marked?
Regards, Tom
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Hose_dk · Post by **Hose_dk** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 2:02 am

Or something to hold a pipe when it is not in use.
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byron mac donald · Post by **byron mac donald** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 3:14 am

Hello-

Could it be a Pap Boat?

Regards-
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kerangoumar · Post by **kerangoumar** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 12:50 pm

it looks like a chinese soup spoon - or a spoon rest - or a pipe rest. a better picture would help
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WantToKnow · Post by **WantToKnow** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 12:40 am

Thank you for your patience with me. I was not able to get back to posting here because my babies have been sick.
Thank you all very much for trying to help me determine the purpose of this item. I will add some more pictures that may be more helpful.
Yes, I would appreciate any help also in identifying its maker. In case this is helpful information, from all my trying elsewhere, I have learned only that it is known that there were two 19th Century silversmiths whose name might be the one indicated here, a Dennis Valentine of Syracuse, New York, and a Philip Valenti of Kentucky; however, I have not learned of a known example nor reference illustration of the mark of either of them. This item was found between those places, in South Michigan.
The mark is impressed (or tapped in) unevenly on the upper side of the flat rim of the item.

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Post by **admin** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 1:59 am

Hi,
Sorry, no chance that it is a piece of 19th century American silver. Better images of the item itself would help and please tell us if it has any other marks on it, and if so, what they are.
Thanks, Tom
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WantToKnow · Post by **WantToKnow** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 3:35 am

Oh, no disappointment. I am very glad to be getting this help from such knowledgeable people.
It had what seemed to be ages of tarnish.
That photograph I put on shows the entire marking, the only mark on the item.

Here is a view from the side, showing that it stands on a flat bottom. The entire thing seems to have been hammered from its upper side and also pressed with some sort of narrow tool just around the outside of the inside (upper side of) bottom (where it curves upward from the bottom), and it has this same tooling along a rounded V-shaped channel or groove that extends up each end of the bowl part and to each end of the item. In a little of the tooling in the channel toward the higher end of its bowl (I mean the end away from what seems to be a handle end of the object) there is just a little coppery appearance; otherwise, it seems to be silver everywhere, even the edges.

And here is a picture from overhead, with a circle around that only place where it is marked, on the upper side of its flat rim near what seems to be a handle end.

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Joop · Post by **Joop** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 5:28 am

This looks to me like a tea-spoon. Not a tea-spoon for stirring a cup of tea, but for scooping tea-leaves into a pot and adding water next.
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byron mac donald · Post by **byron mac donald** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 5:36 pm

Hi Want-

The more I look at it; the more I am thinking ladle rest, just a guess.

Byron
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Post by **dragonflywink** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 6:10 pm

Every time I see it, I think Chinese soup spoon. *shrugs*

~Cheryl
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byron mac donald · Post by **byron mac donald** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 6:14 pm

Hi Cheryl-

At 9 inches that would be a big soup spoon; a person would have to mighty hunger.

Best wishes- Byron
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Post by **dragonflywink** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 6:59 pm

Heh, I've seen the ceramic ones even larger than 9 inches, assume that they're used for serving soup or rice.

~Cheryl
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byron mac donald · Post by **byron mac donald** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:20 am

Hi Cheryl-

Now thats my kind of restaurant, sounds Yummy! when you going to take me there? ;-)

Best wishes- Byron
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sol7 · Post by **sol7** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 5:52 pm

Apparently it is a "pap boat" according to a listing on eBay:
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Post by **admin** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 7:35 pm

It certainly resembles a pap boat in form as well as the aforementioned Asian spoons, but this piece gives every indication of dating from the mid to late twentieth century. Pap boats are also quite smaller, usually in the 3 to 4 inch realm and silver examples generally date from the mid 18th century to the early 19th.
The more often I view it, the more it brings to mind mid twentieth century examples of hammered Italian silver, often marked "fatto a mano" (hand made) alongside the standard Italian hallmarks. Given the mark on the piece, which seems to be "? Valenti", I think it may be a non silver piece from the same time and place.

Regards, Tom
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WantToKnow · Post by **WantToKnow** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 2:03 pm

Thanks to everyone who has helped out on this thread. You all are great to help with your knowledge and provide your insight. This is an amazing website. Besides the help in this forum, the site has helped me identify a dozen or so makers.
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