MIDDLE EASTERN HALLMARK ON A SALT DISH

[niceguy1]

HELLO

I need help to identify the hallmark on this sweet little salt dish. there are Arabic characters over the letters H Y. the dish measures 1 inch tall.

THANKS

[dognose]

Hi,

Not Middle Eastern, but Malaysian.

See Mohd Salleh & Sons Silver Crafts on page 6 of Chinese Export Silver & Far East Trade Information

Trev.

[niceguy1]

Wow that was quick! thanks.

Is it possible to narrow down a date range for this?

[dognose]

Hi,

The maker will be 'HY', who is unknown to me, the Jawi script translates to 'Kelantan', the Malaysian state known for its tradition of silverwork.

Trev.

[Essexboy Fisher]

Hello, I think I have another Kelantan silver item with the unknown "HY" maker mark. This is on a small condiment type spoon, 6.0 centimeters long.



The spoon finial appears interesting to me as it appears in a pseudo filigree style but through a lens it looks like "point work" presumably to represent a leaf. This spoon belonged to a pensioner I know who had a collection of other small silver items from Egypt and Palestine of the immediate post WWII period and I wonder if my pictured spoon was from the around the same era and help date the unknown "HY" maker.
Here is a Forum reference for the unknown "HY" Kelantan silversmith.

viewtopic.php?f=38&t=24259&p=94779&hili ... tan#p94779

Fishless

Ps. Geographically Kelantan State is in the North East corner of Malaysia and borders Southern Thailand.

[Damon]

The initials HY which appear on certain pieces of Kelantan silver have been a mystery for some time.

See https://www.kraftangan.gov.my/en/craft- ... -craftsmen.

This concerns a skilled Malaysian silver smith, Allahyarham Tuan Haji Ab. Manan Bin Haji Yakub (Pok Teh), who has been designated a Master Craftsman.

In the second paragraph it reads

"As a child, he often watched his father's craftmanship work, the late Haji Yakub bin Mohamad, who was a skilled silversmith crafts for British officials besides receiving orders from the palace."

Haji Yakub died in 1977.

Could HY be Haji Yakub?

On a related note there is an interesting video about Kelantan silver at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxf46bGGJXo

Hope that some members find this interesting.

Damon

[dognose]

Hi Damon,

Many thanks for adding the interesting links.

Haji Yakub bin Mohamad must surely be the leading candidate for the identity of the mystery 'HY'. Hopefully now we have a name to work with, we may find something to link it to the mark.

Trev.