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Hello,
I apologise in advance if the images are a bit large, but I wanted the hallmarks to be easier to see then if a small image.
This seems to be quite an old cup, with large makers stamp to underside of base(struck four times?) and some other smaller marks to the handles.
Marks to one handle is: boars head and (I have no idea)
Marks to second handle is: shoe and a vase?
It is a beautiful bowl and any help would be appreciated, I have tried for hours to find something on the makers marks.
Cheers,
Craig
It is a marriage cup, usually from Bretagne or Nomandie, much collected. I am willing to spend the time trying to identify the maker, etc. However, you aren't giving us the tools necessary. Forget the boar's head mark which was probably added later, and is too small to photograph. But it is much easier to do the others correctly. First clean out the smaller marks, use a moistened, chewed wood tooth pick, and some silver polish. Then use the highest resolution on your camera. Then crop the photo so it is not just a dot on the screen. Also give a close up of the engraving, which seems a bit odd even for Gaelic. Finally crop and enlarge the maker's mark. I am not the only knowledgeable person on this site, by any means, maybe someone else will recognize the maker's mark. In which case you don't have to do anything. But personally I think if this site is going to be the "go to place", and a lasting record of information, it is necessary to document the piece correctly. I hope you don't think I am being critical, but you should realize we are trying to help.
Maurice
Dear Maurice,
Thank you for your response, time and advice, it is greatly appreciated.
I have gone back and taken further photos as per your guidance and I hope these are better, the hallmarks to the handle are minute!
My resource material on French silver is rather limited, I have a vast library of English makers but that is of no help with this lovely piece.
It is evening here now, I shall try and take some better shots tomorrow as a friend has a macro I may be able to use.
Craig
We may not be able to identify the maker, but by the time we finish you'll be a good silver photographer. I am not optimistic about this piece.
The first problem, I don't see any initials in the maker's mark. That would be more than a bit unusual. The second problem is the small mark you showed in you last set of marks, is not what I thought it would be from the cartouche. I don't think you did a close up of the "Shoe mark".
Finally a quick search doesn't find anyone with the name of Kleoc in France.
So if you want to continue, I would try again with the photos. The last one you took was the best although it wasn't bright enough. To take pictures of silver you need bright light, but diffuse. So for instance, if you put an opaque milk carton, or a sheet in between the object and the
light source. I use a tent, with flood lights. But if you just took a sheet, maybe doubled, and went outside in the daytime put the sheet over your camera and the item you are photographing. This should work, if you neighbors don't have you arrested.
Like I said I can't promise results, as I have my doubts about the piece, but I for one would like to see good pictures of the marks.
