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Hello Members
I have recently purchased this small box ,It has not arrived yet. It is marked for Hermann Ratzersdorfer 1862.
as I have said before I collect interesting small boxes, I felt this was an interesting one to add to my collection.
I would be interested in members comments .I am assuming it is right and is not a fake
Some of the stones may have been replaced over the years.








Regards Guido.

Size of box is 7.5cms wide from end of stones 5cms high.

Regards Guido.

Hi,
Marks look OK, but that`s not enough. The problem is the quality of the box, which really does not match HR excellent craftsmanship seen in every object he made.
Even if several stones have been replaced (meaning settings are distorted during repair), overall aspect of all stone settings is of only average quality.
Nice box, though (if not overpriced just because of HR mark).
Let`s compare with Faberge; overpriced ordinary table silverware just because of F. mark.
Regards

Just look at this from elsewhere; an ``expert`` says:

Hermann Ratzersdorfer 1843/1881 Vienna Rare 9 Sterling silver tumblers - .800 silver - Austria - Late 19th century
Set of 9 sterling silver liqueur cups
Sterling silver hallmark Austria 800/1000 and silversmith’s mark:
Hermann Ratzersdorfer 1843-1881, Vienna

Pay attention: sterling .800 silver.

Regards

Hello Ag
Many thanks for your comments.
I have not seen any other similar boxes by him anywhere as yet,most of the ones online by him seem to feature mostly very fine enameling .
1862 seems to be earlier in his career ,I would have thought if it was a copy ,what is is a copy of ? I have not received it yet ,it does not look like it has the HR stamp,only the marks on the base ,which seem to match,even though the mark with crown and eagle or bird is a bit faint,
There is in total 30 turquoise ,12 small red,1 large red stones,not sure what red stones are yet. It seems to be in his style ,the small silver inserts into the red stones seems to be a very tricky thing to do, where else it would have been made if not by him is a bit of a mystery.

to put so much effort into such a small thing and put a mark from a bit of an unknown and rare maker would seem strange to me.
I also would have thought that if it was a copy it would have had the HR mark as well ,as that looks very simple to me to copy.

once the stones are examined and tested it may give a clue as to quality of it.

Regards Guido.

Hi Ag
thought you may be interested to see the ends of these enameled ,I forget if the were spoons or forks by Ratzersdorfer. On the A.S.C.A.S silver site.
the silver work I think compares well with my box,I feel,I do not feel his repousse work ,was where his main talent was,as we can see by these caps ,you would not say the work is out standing.
I would be interested what you think about the work on the caps,that were also gilded like my box (gilding worn of in a lot of areas.

Regards Guido.

Those are finials on knife handles, magnified 5x, otherwise barely visible knobs.
In a word, overall quality cannot be judged based on this.
Regards

Hi Ag
many thanks for you comments .
Could your same theory re magnification also apply to my box,all the images of my box are close ups that have also been magnified a certain amount.

Regards Guido.

Hi Members
I have come across some interesting information about the mark on my box from the MAK museum in Vienna. They have one very small gold and enamel box by him,this box features a small stone in the centre on the red stone that maybe a pearl ,similar to the stones on the red stones on my box.
Also on their site was one of his marks that look like the mark on my box. I would think a very complicated mark to fake or reproduce.

As I still do not have the box all my images are from images that have been sent to me by the auction house and enlarged by me,
so they are not super clear.
You can see (a bit tricky) the HR on the left and right side at the bottom of the mark on my box, as on original mark.

I am very happy to have found this info,it looks like he had many different marks based on the same emblem.
The first image is the mark on my box.
Regards Guido.

Image of pearl? on red stone in center .

Regards Guido.

Hi Members
Not sure if you may be interested,The curator and custodian of the metal collection at the MAK museum in Vienna, Dr Anne -Katrin Rossberg ,has given me her opinion that my box is original and the hallmark is definitely by Hermann Ratzersdorfer.
Which is good news for me ,I still have not received it,not sure if I mentioned there were 27 bids (unfortunately ) before my last bid
So there was a fair bit of interest in it.

In my research on him I have discovered he employed around 30 people,and along with Hermann Bohn (strange same christian name) were the leading figures in the mid to late 1800s in the historistmus style ,how much hands on work he did himself will will probably never know.

Does anyone have Dr Neuwirth- Lexikon Wiener ,Gold-und Silberschmiede und ihre punzen-1867-1922 ,AK-LZ.

There are supposed be 8-9 pages devoted to Hermann Razersdofer in this book. (very expensive book)

The book that I have purchased by her Wiener Silber 1780-1866 (1988) mentions him on one page (not sure how much info)

Regards Guido.

Hello Members
If anyone is interested ,I have finally received my box,I am happy with it,I have added some images taken at home.

Regards Guido.

Hello Members
Re this post a few years ago ,not sure if anyone may be interested? I have come across this very similar box,made 2 years after mine (1864) by Hermann Ratzersdorfer.

(admin edit - see Posting Requirements )

An interesting find for me,hope members find it interesting ,good that it is similar but not exactly the same ,in theory all hand made.

I must say I prefer my shape and decoration (naturally I would say that)
Regards Guido.

Hello Members

I came across this interesting vessel ,it seems this is where the inspiration for the much latter works of mainly Viennese silversmiths came from ,for all the gem set articles they made in the mid to late 1800s.

Very interesting for me to have stumbled on to this item.

(admin edit - see Posting Requirements )

Regards Guido.

Dear Guido,

for all collectors some informations about Hermann Ratzersdorfer:

Born in Bratislava (other source: Wien) in 1819, Hermann Ratzersdorfer moved to Vienna at the beginning of the 1840s, where he started working as a silversmith.
He first found it more lucrative to imitate rare pieces rather than trade in originals.
In 1843 he registered his first mark.
His works in silver were usually adorned with embellishment of grisaille or enamelling.
Now he established himself has a well-respected silversmith and goldsmith.
Address: Kohlmarkt 9, Wien (source: dognose, Nov 23, 2016)

1851 he participated at the London Exhibition, winning a medal for a beautifully ornate toilet glass.

Two years later he exhibited at the Viennese Trade Exhibition.

In 1855 he won the second class medal at the Paris Exhibition.

At the London Exhibition in 1871, he was given a diploma of honor and praised for its colorful creation in the Neo-Renaissance style.

However, it is said that Ratzersdorfer put the most effort into the pieces he created for the 1873 exhibition in Vienna, for which he was given a „Diploma of Honour“.

"Critics and public praised the neo-Renaissance creations of the Viennese goldsmiths which were said to light up the gloomy Exhibition Rotunda with their colour and sparkle.“
(Strong Roy, The collector's encyclopedia, Victoriana to Art Deco, Studio Editions, 1990, p. 224)

When he retired, in 1881, his son Julius took over the business.
Nowadays Hermann Ratzersdorfer’s enamelled pieces, often combining precious metals and rock crystal, are sought after by international collectors.

Addition for collectors
Beside Hermann Ratzersdorfer was Hermann Böhm/Boehm (his workshop was founded 1866) one of the best known gold- and silversmiths
in Vienna, who produced objects with semiprecious stones, email, chrystal and Lapis Lazuli. (Mundt, Barbara: Historismus, München 1981, p. 318–321)
His pieces were saved in the imperial collections and in the „Grünes Gewölbe, Dresden).
Hermann Böhm also took part at the „Wiener Weltausstellung“ (exhibition in Vienna) in 1873 and was honored with a medal (Neuwirth, Waltraud: Lexikon Wiener Gold- und Silberschmiede und ihre Punzen 1867–1922, Wien 1976, p. 116).

Regards
Silverstone

My summary - many thanks to:
Pushkin Antiques and Maifair Gallery

Hi
greetings from Vienna:








Servus!
Silverstone

Hello Silverstone

Thanks for your great work re all the info on Razersdorfer.In my research I did have all that info,your post great for others.
and posting the image of fine quality silver box (I have seen it before ,would love to have it) quite a large box compared to mine.
even though my box is not from his golden years" carved rock crystal and enamel era " around 1870s. I still enjoy it. For me it is like having one of Rembrants early paintings before he became famous.

His best works are mindboggling in their amazing quality, in my opinion one of the best ever makers of his time.

regards Guido.

Guido, enjoy your little box!

You don't recognize the real collector by what he has, but by what he would be happy about.
Marc Chagall

Regards
Silverstone

Hi Silverstone
Thanks for your comments.
Not a fan of Mark Chagall's work.

His quote is interesting. A quote I like is ,"Good taste is what I like". not sure who said it (thought it may have been Oscar Wilde)

as someone said to me once the objects we buy pick us.

Regards Guido.