Mystery Mid Century Italian Brass or Gold Plated Flatware

Hi Friends, I picked up this large case of flatware at an auction. Nobody else wanted it, presumably because it is so hard to identify. It's a large case with 2 levels. Many pieces are still in their original plastic wrappers. The auction house called it brass, but I have never seen brass flatware. The brass fixtures on the case are marked Italy. I have spent a lot of time researching the mark on the individual pieces, but have come up with nothing. Help! I haven't a clue as to how to write this up for sale.

 

Most likely gold plated.
1950s-70s is a good likelihood.

The flatware may only be put in an Italian box. Could be made in Japan, Hong Kong or elsewhere.

Can you find a piece with a better mark and show us?

 

Hi,
I would get rid of those plastic bags before they start to disintegrate and ruin the finish on the flatware. My Aunt Re has a set of bronze flatware that looks gold plated I think the name is Dirigold or such it was a big seller in the 1960s/70s.
greg

 

Much of that plated bronze was made in Thailand and imported, then reboxed.

And yes, ditch that plastic!

 

So far all I can say is that the locks are Italian made.
I'm with obb, a lot of that brass/bronze cutlery was made in Thailand.

 

The mark appears to be VK35-65AA. I was hoping it would be Italian, but Asian makes sense - Darn!

 

Don't be disappointed. These were very expensive new and are well made.

 

Taking another look at the mark made me search again and I came up with something almost identical. https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/d...line-cutlery-sigvard-bernadotte/id-f_1119814/ The handle on the box is different, but the box is the same. The flatware is the same, but the VK mark....?

 

I'm not seeing Bernadotte's 'Skantha/Scanline' pattern, which should be marked with one of those two names, it has narrower and thicker handles than yours. They are likely bronze or Dirigold/Dirilyte, which was originally a Scandinavian bronze-type alloy - feel sure the dating of your set would be about the same, circa 1960s...

~Cheryl

 

Skantha setting:


Your fork - can't see them in the box, but if that's a place fork, then the number of tines would also be a difference:


~Cheryl

 

You are so right! Wishful thinking, I guess.

 

sold at the autostrada gas stations in the 70s and 80s. no value.

 

While visiting various seaports during the 1970’s it seemed that every souvenir/gift shop had very similar sets displayed, seems like there was a choice of either red or blue velvet box lining, and there were a few different sizes of sets. That’s one souvenir I was always able to pass by, wondering what the heck I’d do with it later.

 

Here are a couple of similar boxed sets - both listings say 1970s from Thailand:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Modern-Nickel-Bronze-Flatware-Cutlery-Set-in-Teak-Case-8-settings-100-pieces-/253205466429?hash=item3af438cd3d:g:XUQAAOSwtJNZrGht&nma=true&si=V6g%2Fr2tVLnaKObLImHAqL6rjAog%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Nickel-Bronze-Flatware-Service-for-twelve-/253985162596?hash=item3b22b20564:g:KiwAAOSwA-NbwQzu&nma=true&si=V6g%2Fr2tVLnaKObLImHAqL6rjAog%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

~Cheryl

 

Yes, I'm convinced that it is the same kind of Nickel Bronze flatware from Thailand as your links. There seems to be an endless variety of it. Thanks so much to you, Cheryl, and the Antiquers community. It's awesome to have a place to come when I'm stumped on a purchase.

 

I just got a similar same box and handle but are more shaped like the scan line set but now marked that only marked nickel bronze ? 143 pieces (missing one sppon) Could these be Sigvard bernotte? No Scanline mark but very similar. (like everyone else, living in hope)