Featured Gambling for silver...

Just bought this one, no clue if I guessed correctly. My two theories:

1. Just silverplate, but pretty
2. German hanau 800 silver item

What do you think? (note: I know I don't have any marks to work with, I just had to take the gamble on this one):

 

Not sure either, but the piece in the background of that smaller photo sure looks real. If that's good this might be too.

 

Yes, I considered that one also. I picked a few other items. I'll be sure to update once I get them. I was intrigued by the bottom of this one (perhaps incorrectly) as it seems someone took a good amount of effort to add a design to the base...

 

It looks machine-stamped from here, but real silver is done that way sometimes.

 

Well...I have goodies to show you all. I'm kinda pinching myself today with the luck I've been having lately. As mentioned, this one was a gamble for me. To those of you trying your luck, I offer this advice to you: go with your instincts. You are going to make mistakes, but as long as you learn along the way you will do well. I forgot to mention that I had the seller throw one more item in for me that I thought was going to be real. So, here's what I got for $35 (the dinner bells are marked sterling hecho en mexico but I forgot to upload the photo):



And just so I don't clog up the forum, I got this one in the mail today. This was 100% a gamble (and I certainly could have been wrong) as there was never a chance the seller was going to find these marks. I spend about 5 minutes scanning all over the plate trying before I found the mark. Price on this was $25:

 

I hope you enjoy it as much as me. Hard to see on the marks, but there's an upside down "GERMANY" stamped to the right of the 800 mark:

 

Dingding ding! Mr Nate strikes again! That Portuguese mark must have been a pain; I swear they hide the marks and dare you silver people to find them.

 

It did polish up nicely, but what is it? Seems to be missing some thing or things that attached to the screws on the bird's head and behind the garland. The bells in your earlier posts were part of something else?

 

I was really hoping someone would ask about the screws, I have absolutely no clue and I’m hoping someone else has an idea. It appears to me these pieces are original to it.

The bells, based on this they are complete and are dinner bells:

http://www.antiques.com/classified/1090148/Antique-Mexican-Sterling-Silver-Double-Dinner-Bell-

 

Maybe @Bronwen will recognize a familiar(to her) scene and be able to guess at what might be missing?

 

It definitely had another piece on there - the base to a wheelbarrow or a big basket probably. Cupid has a thing for flowers. I'd guess it was the lid to some sort of box originally, but either the two were separated or the base broke if it was porcelain or crystal.

 

In front of him was probably a large urn, maybe with flowers if it was strictly decorative & not functional. Or could have been a fountain. The screw behind the garland is very puzzling. Seems heavy duty for anything small enough to fit in the space available. Can't imagine it was something that stuck up in front of Cupid.

@MrNate Is there some movement of the garland in the hands or is it firmly in place?

 

The garland has a range of motion, perhaps 1/4 of a circle swinging range from the hands?

 

I'm confused about why there would be anything attached to the top of the bird's head.

I guess the range of motion for the garland would be self-evident if we knew what this was supposed to be.

 

Both screws have a decorative nut on them? Can these be removed or does the screw end flare to prevent that? I asked about movement in the garland because it was the only way I could see for there to be enough space for anything to attach behind & the hands looked like hinges. The whole thing was functional in some way, not just a lid to something else. Could the dove be the pedestal for some kind of little pot that had a lid that was held by an arm attached to the garland? Can the garland raise high enough for that? I'm thinking smoking or desk accessory.

 

Great observations and questions Bronwen I'm really enjoying this:

Can the nuts be removed: yes, i took them both of for cleaning.

The garland can be raised just below level to the ground, then the movement is limited.

I really like your idea of lifting up on the garland to open a lid, that is neat. I really wish I could find this little guys "twin" somewhere out on the internet, but so far my search of "german silver cherub statue/center piece" hasn't found the little guy

 

I have to think the screws held something that was removable/replaceable/interchangeable & that it was expected the nuts would be visible. Darned if I can imagine what. If the mystery is solved, it will be so obvious in retrospect.

As nearly as you can tell, are the 2 screws the same length?

 

I think it's the decorative "spike" on a helmet, like in the magnificent men in their flying machines guy is wearing e.g.

 

Yes they appear the same general length. The screw on the garland is such a mystery to me. I could easily something placed on the bird/eagle, but the underside of the garland has me stumped.

 

Great finds again, Nate.

I was thinking a porcelain or glass bowl. For bonbons or anything else that isn't liquid.
It doesn't have any Hanau marks, so it could have been made anywhere in Germany.