Featured I could be wrong, but it was WAYYY worth the risk

I promise not to scrap the set

 

Yay!

 

Now that he knows it'll go well over silver price. The tea service itself isn't my particular style either, but then neither is polishing silver and if someone wanted to pay one of us crazy prices for the privilege, I say let them!

 

Once again great find @MrNate

Love these stories. Never get tired of your post, games and finds. Don't ever think that.

I look forward to this before (Polish) and after polish pictures. Those will brighten and sparkle up the day.

 

Sorry for the delay, this set took quite some time to polish. I am very happy with the result. It may not be your preferred style, but I've fallen in love with the pattern over the countless hours I spent polishing and studying it. I hope you enjoy, and I hope you find treasure too.

 

Nate, it is lovely! The "orange peel" texture is not my personal favorite, but I do love all the other detail.

Wonderful job cleaning it up, too!

 

"But here's the truth about silver right now....I think that in a lot of cases the price of spot is exceeding the collectors value of items." .... ( Mr N8 )

Dear Silver Surfer,,,,,, ( & I hope that gains traction..)

Some poor bastard needed the money more than they needed an old tea set....
and U were in the right place at the right time...!
( I take nothing away from your........talent ! )

This may not be your best score.......but then , I can't think of what you found...that's BETTER !!!
It's a stunning set !!!

On a different note.....if U showed these pics to whom you bought it from....
I'll bet they'd shoot you to get it back !!!!

Again, I am flaberggasted that folks continue to give away silver like it has the COVID !!!!!

A feather in your cap, Sir !!!!!!

 

wow, wow, wow Mr Nate, seeing that set all polished up brings a tear to my eye, it is stunning I could see the unpolished set being scrapped, but nobody would ever scrap the set when it looks so beautiful, well done you!

 

This message genuinely made me giggle. Every time I have a big score I continue to pinch myself... I’ve given up trying to understand how these items fall into my hands. Here’s a few more details on the original purchase:

-I found it browsing online, I just stumbled upon it within the first hour of the listing. The seller already posted the picture of a bottom of one without me asking.

-The challenging part for many purchases like this is to get the seller to agree to ship. For this one, I used a method I really like. I offered to send them the full asking price electronically, and then to send a prepaid label. So all the seller had to do was print the label and put it on the box and off it goes.

-To some sellers this is more convenient because they don’t have to give someone their address and have them show up etc...

-Total investment WITH the shipping cost was $140...

 

Magnificent work @MrNate

The hammered silver effect can be seen through your polishing. That is some serious elbow grease you have put in.

Did not see the tea strainer in the polished picture. Is that not silver?

 

\-Total investment WITH the shipping cost was $140...

I'm gagging on my spit here...................keep that to yourself !

naahhh, just kidding.......but I think I just threw up a little in my mouth !!

..

 

Good 4 U , Mr N8.........!!!!!

 

It is lovely, and very traditional Javanese. The Djokja silversmiths originally worked for the courts, which maintain many pre-Islamic traditions. So the motifs are a legacy of the Hindu and pre-Hindu history of Java.
I cropped one of you photos.
On the left is a lotus motif, which in Hinduism and Buddhism stands for spiritual growth and purity.
On the right is the double Javanese peacock, an old symbol of royalty but also of purity. Javanese Islamic mysticism adopted the double Javanese peacock as a symbol of the mystic purity of the prophet Muhammad.



This is the Javanese peacock, it has a green neck instead of blue, and it has more crown feathers, which don't fan out:

 

& what's the sad looking little lion.......they so cute !!! ????

 

Is this the sad looking lion?



It is actually the double peacock, the manes are the tail (one tail for two peacocks = unity), the two sad eyes are foliage curls underneath the peacocks necks, the lion's nose is formed by the two bodies of the peacocks.

 

Your description of the symbolism, tradition and overall history of these images is amazing and beautiful. Thank you so much for taking the time to share.

 

Any time Nate. I thought you would love it even more with a bit of extra information.

 

Ah yes, forgot to mention on the tea strainer, it ended up being plated sadly. I did manage to get an 82 gram sterling silver cup that you can see in the background of the original photos. Clearly icing on the cake considering the beauty of the teaset.

 

love that set !