Featured Help Id Silver plaque with coat of arms engraved

Hello everyone,

inside a lot of ancient objects that I won at an auction house in Rome (Italy)

I found this big old metal plate / plaque; it is not magnetic, it really looks like solid silver.

But besides this, I found some very interesting things:

I found two heraldic / royal coat of arms engraved, and also two Signatures, but I can not understand as well.

At the center are represented two birds.

Diameter is cm 16

Through your help, I would like to understand what is struck, which country it is, and to date it if possible.

I entrust myself to you for a more professional opinion.

Thanks in advance for the support

Sending related photos

Gianluca

 

Is the writing Islamic? Could it be Persian? A shield boss?

 

Welcome Gianluca.
It is an intriguing piece. The European crests with crowns, and the round marks which look like North African Beyic marks.
The combination of the two, and the location of the auction, makes me think of the old Tunis-Italy or Algeria-Italy connection.
I think a shield boss would have holes all around. This just has four holes, two on either side.
Maybe one of the others can come up with an identification.
I will check back in tomorrow, maybe I'll find something.

Can you peel back the green felt and see what the underside looks like? Without damage?

 

Welcome to Antiquers Ginaluca!

 

Hello,
Thank you all for the reply
Ok tomorrow I'll peel back the green felt and then I'll send the related photos.
Good night
Gianluca

 

Is it me, or were those holes punched after the silver was made and decorated? Could this have been part of a horse's decoration, or given the North African mark maybe a camel?

 

The holes looks like they cast in at the same time the piece was cast.

 

Hello everyone,
as scheduled i've provided to peel back the green felt and so that you can see what the underside looks like

I took some photos, really wishing that they could help more to understand what is struck, which country it is, and dating if possible.
As usual, thanks so much to you all for the reply

 

Thank you, Gianluca.
I have done some more research and come up with nothing, alas.There is definitely both European and Islamic influence. I can see a configuration of الله, Allah, in the seals.
Until we find out more, I think the Italy-Tunis-Algiers link is plausible.
There is also a historic link between Portugal and Morocco, but the slightly crude casting reminds me of Tunisian Berber jewellery, this kind of thing:



Moroccan styles are different.

Was it tested for silver content? If so, do you know what the fineness is?

 

Thanks so much for your answer and the precious info, i didn't test the silver yet, I'm planning to do it asap and then I will update you all.
Many thanks really

 

Wooow you found it !
It's really similar .
Yessss i got many info
Lybia, Tripoli ...

a rare, large, disc-shaped headdress of the Bedouin women in Libya, made from pure silver, known as ‘Salha’ or ‘Turraha’.

I should only understand if my hallmarks are related to Tripoli like that one or about an other city....
Pure silver, sold on auction, realized price € 475.

So, you all, you were all right, north Africa.

Thanks so much to this great forum, finally i known what I'm touching

 

A number of examples here ............. https://www.pinterest.com/ejboquiron/exotic-libya/

 

I found an other similar one sold on catawiki they dated 1850, Lybia, but the hallmarks are only similar.
diameter is 16cm exactly like my item
https://aste.catawiki.it/kavels/14600871-antique-silver-salha-or-turraha-libya-circa-1850

So we know what it is, we could date it starting from 1850 to 1st half of the 20th century but the hallmarks are still in question.

What do you think if i clean the silver and i do a macro photo to the hallmarks ? Maybe they'll offer better details ..

 

Well, it has my definite yes. Wonderful searching again, Hunting.

The mark is a new one for me, one for the files. There is very little info on Libyan marks, and I only knew the Ottoman tughra marks and Beyic style marks in heart shapes.
Maybe the crown dates from the period of the Italian occupation, 1911-1943?
I think your idea of cleaning the marks would help. It doesn't seem to be exactly like the Tripoli mark, and could be from one of the other northern cities. But definitely Libya.
And I would advise you to leave the felt off.

Some more Salha, from ethnicjewels.ning, which has even more:


This one has the old Phoenician/Berber fish symbol, which is also on yours:


These are the head ornaments I usually see, a different style, and smaller. They are worn from Saharan Algeria through Libya to Siwa oasis in Egypt.
I have one like the one on the left, but never made the connection to yours:

 

It is typical for coastal North African Berber crafts. It signifies fertility and abundance, and is often combined with birds, for the heavens. I have a Tunisian Tanit (Carthagean Goddess) pendant on which Tanit has a fish for a head and bird arms. Strange, but it goes to show how important the fish symbol is.