Featured Maker and Purpose of German Sterling Shakers

These shakers are about 8 inches tall. Each has a different mark, as shown. I believe the marks are for Germany, but the makers mark I haven't found. It is similar to the mark for JD Schleissner & Sohne that is shown on the 925-1000 site, but not sure it is a match.
So, any idea as to the maker, and also, what is the purpose of these shakers?
Thank you!

 

How many holes in the tops (and are they the same number in each or different?)

 

Sand shakers? (used when writing)

 

Maker on the second one is J D Schleissner Sohne

https://www.925-1000.com/Fgerman_marks_a1884_8.html

 

Thanks everyone.
I counted approx. 70 holes, concentric rows around the top, and also some going down the sides.

 

NOW, THOSE are something MOM would have added to her silver stuff on the dining room sideboard!!!! GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!!

 

I'm going with AJ's sand shaker idea. Salt or sugar options would be odd with the little guys on top (and in the way.)

 

I have similar salt shakers made in Germany, they are fantastic.

 

They’re 20th century, so wouldn’t salt and pepper make sense (maybe towel it looks like he’s holding up for salt, towel down for pepper). Usually salt and pepper can be distinguished by different number or size of holes.

 

Interesting idea, towel/horn/whatever up for salt and down for pepper. I had assumed the one that was down was somehow damaged.

 

Bit confused - I'm only seeing Schleissner & Söhne's 'sickle' mark, just oriented differently...

They're salt and pepper shakers - below is a similar pepper shaker with its matching open salt:

https://fineart.ha.com/itm/silver-a...ohne-hanau-germany-circa-1900m/a/5124-68062.s




~Cheryl

 

It looks like some kind of horn, and I would assume that the one that is down is supposed to be up.

 

I can't help but you take some extraordinarily lovely photos.

 

Thanks for the link Cheryl, and the compliment Pearls.

 

right on, P !
those pics are way fine !!

 

The word is "pounce pot". Pounce pots are very specifically shaped, though. They're designed to pour sand out AND pour it back IN.

It's not a pounce pot.

I think it's a sugar-castor / muffineer. Used for sprinkling sugar.

Pepper-shakers and salt-shakers really didn't exist before the early 1900s / very late Victorian era. And also - too many holes to be a salt / pepper shaker. But sugar castors with loads of holes are very common.

 

Now there is a word I must use more often!

 

For a bit of clarity, pounce and sand are not the same, pounce was used to prepare vellum or parchment for ink as well as to blot, and fine sand was often used for blotting - a pounce pot or box might also have been called a sander, sandbox, sand shaker, etc., and could have been used for either. Unfortunately, it's become common practice to proclaim old single shakers as a pounce pots, regardless of their true original purpose.

Salt and pepper shakers, earlier called dredgers, casters or muffineers (muffineers originally the smaller shakers - later catalogs, etc. call the larger shakers muffineers), most certainly existed before the early 20th century, and were common through the 18th century, intended for various granular and powdered condiments. The OP's shakers date no earlier than 1886, and are quite possibly "early 1900s", and though they're fairly tall, it's because of the figural swan pedestals, the size of the functional part would be more in line with a salt or pepper shaker/caster/muffineer than a sugar shaker/caster/muffineer, which would typically be larger. The set I showed above, by the same maker, with the shaker of similar size and form, is clearly intended for salt and pepper since one is an open salt. I don't have time at the moment, but can post some pertinent examples, clips, ads, etc. from throughout the 19th century when I get a chance - can share these pieces from the V&A now:


https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O103782/caster-christopher-canner/




https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O78458/sugar-caster-delmestre-john/




https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O104547/caster-peter-and-ann/




https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O67806/pair-of-muffineers-unknown/




https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O104080/the-warwick-cruet-frame-cruet-frame-peaston-robert/





~Cheryl

 

Thank you Cheryl for those links and for sharing your knowledge on this topic.

 

Personally, not usually a huge fan of Hanau historismus pieces (bearing proper marks, yours are most likely 20th century), but these are very nice - my Mom would have coveted them, she collected swans as long as I can remember, as well as open salts and spoons for well over forty years - I researched and catalogued the collection for her, so shakers also fell into my purview. If interested, here is a short article on Hanau 'Antique Style' silver and Schleissner: https://www.925-1000.com/Fgerman_hanau.html


~Cheryl