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Hello again
Well, this time I have a real quandry !
A rather well-made pair of candelabra needing complete restoration.

They bear the following marks :
1. An eagle with a cross on its breast and a crown over
2. A curved dolphin on a round field

From my limited range of reference works, I found these two marks as, possibly, being Turin about 1750 ?
Seymour B. Wyler's, The Book of Old Silver refers....
The Eagle - page 382, mark no. 7474 and page 391 ref 7473a - 7476a, The Dolphin - page 383, mark no. 7473 and page 391 ref 7473a - 7476a.

3. A Maker's Mark - the initials FC separated by what appears to be a tree trunk, roots and branches ?

Now, apart from, naturally, wanting to ascertain who the maker was, I have a further motive. It will be noted that the putti on the right has two ribbons, crossing each other across the stomach. These are temporarily held in position with plastic tac, but observing the putti on the left, a hole in the stomach is evident with a short pin beneath it........(this pin locates through a hole in each ribbon)....but there was originally a system which held the ribbons in place, and this is what I need to restore (duplicate). I'm hoping that discovering the name of the Maker might enable me to track down other examples of his work where the fastening system is in place and evident.

As with two previous queries, where Blakstone solved the riddles, any assistance will be very much appreciated.

Regards

Don 1

[img][img]http://h.imagehost.org/0255/Candelabra.jpg[/img][/img]
[img][img]http://h.imagehost.org/0934/The_Putti.jpg[/img][/img]
[img][img]http://h.imagehost.org/0240/Crossed_eagle_with_Crown_over.jpg[/img][/img]
[img][img]http://h.imagehost.org/0812/Dolphin.jpg[/img][/img]
[img][img]http://h.imagehost.org/0122/Makers_mark_FC_1.jpg[/img][/img]
[img][img]http://h.imagehost.org/0954/Makers_mark_FC_2.jpg[/img][/img]

Hi Don,

Just to start you off on your quest, the answers for the eagle and dolphin marks can be found here:

http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17823" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Trev.

Hi again to All

A very great thank you to Dognose for pointing me in the direction of the post :

http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic ... 2061#42061" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I now know :

That the Eagle, displayed, crowned and crossed with the Cross of Savoy indicates large items of the first Standard .950/1000, and ..........
that the dolphin represents the mark of Genoa, (not Turin) and ...........
that both marks are for the period 1824 - 1872/3.........

I have attempted, in vain, to find an Italian silversmith with the Initials FC. Does anyone know if there an accessible list of Italian silversmiths working during this period ?

Thanks again, Dognose for sniffing out that post for me :-)

Don 1

I looker carefully the maker's mark

on my opinion if between F and C there is a Florentine Lily

the maker is Canetti Ferdinando
from city of Vercellli activity 1815-24

Hello again Everybody

Well, after an extensive amount of research I have some information on the candelabra.

With the assistance of my sister, resident in the UK, who speaks fluent Italian, I was able to correspond with Dr. Ornella Casazza, Director of the Silver Museum, Florence, Italy, who has supplied the name of the maker, FRANCESCO CANEPA and Dr. Farida Simonetti, author of the catalogue mentioned below - I am awaiting further information from Dr. Simonetti as to the probable date of the candelabra - when I have it I shall forward it to the forum. (The emails below have been shortened).

_______________________

Dear Don Sheasby

We hereby send you the information you requested in relation to the artist operating in Genoa in the nineteenth century.

We have tracked down the punch with the monogram that you have indicated. It appears to be Francesco Canepa, operating in the city of Liguria, maker of other articles for the Savoy court.

I am sending you references that might be useful for your research:

MANUFACTURERS OF PUNCHES FOR GOLD AND SILVER WORK OF THE DIVISION OF GENOA, Genoa Metric Office and Assay of Precious Metals, in F. Simonetti, Savoy table silver in Genoa , exhibition catalogue, Genoa, 1996, p.70.

G. Roccatagliata, Genoese Silversmiths and Goldsmiths between Neoclassicism and Liberty, Genoa, 1984

Sincerely

Dr. Ornella Casazza
Director of the Silver Museum, Palazzo Pitti, Florence

_______________________________________________________

The original email in Italian :

Egregio Dott. Don Sheasby

Le invio le informazioni da lei richieste in relazione all’artista operativo a Genova nel XIX secolo.

Abbiamo rintracciato il punzone con il monogramma che ci ha indicato, risulta essere Francesco Canepa, operativo nella città ligure, artefice anche di altri manufatti per la corte Sabauda.


Le invio dei riferimenti che potrebbero essere utili per la sua ricerca:

PUNZONI DEI FABBRICANTI DI LAVORI D’ORO E D’ARGENTO DELLA DIVISIONE DI GENOVA, Genova, Ufficio Metrico e del Saggio dei Metalli Preziosi, in F. Simonetti, Argenti da tavola Sabaudi a Genova, catalogo mostra, Genova, 1996,p.70.

G. Roccatagliata, Argentieri e Orafi genovesi tra il Neoclassicismo e Liberty, Genova, 1984

Cordiali Saluti

Dott.ssa Ornella Casazza
Direttrice del Museo degli Argenti, Palazzo Pitti, Firenze