Featured Silver picture frame

Hello everyone,

I got this picture frame in by mail today. I looked up the marks and so far (correct me if I’m wrong) it looks like this is from the provenance “FI” the maker name is Salimbeni Renato and the town is Firenze.

Does anyone know anything about the maker? I was able to find a few other enamel items are online but I’d like to know more about the maker.

Any comments are welcomed!

 

BMRT, I am NOT the person to ask, but I just wanted to say it's lovely! Perhaps Cheryl can help - she knows silver/enamel! @DragonflyWink

 

Firenze is correct, but where did you go to look up the smith #391?

 

http://www.silvercollection.it/SILVERSMITHSFI3.html

I looked here. Did I get it wrong?

 

Not really - although you quoted his name backwards - Salimbeni is his surname - Renato Salimbeni. The other thing is that the most recent date quoted for him was in 1971. When an Italian smith gives up his business or dies, they assign the number to a new smith - and we don't know for sure when this lovely frame was made. Do we?

 

Nope! No remote idea on when it was made. I had no idea they reassigned numbers. Unless something is date stamped there wouldn’t be a way to know who it’s really attributed to.

 

As our esteemed member afantiques would say - "just 2 blokes in a shed." Meaning that unless the maker is incredibly famous, who made it does not matter, nor influence the price/value.

 

I respectfully disagree. Now about pricing and value it makes total sense. However when your collecting things because you like how they look and enjoy finding the history I believe even the people involved do matter despite how little fame. It can add to a story.

 

I appreciate the lead, gives me another area to ferret out!

 

beautiful frame BMRT, looks in great condition

 

Definitely going to see where this post leads. If the ID of Salimbeni is correct, agree that enamel pieces by this maker sell for some pretty impressive $$.

Just looking at the backing makes me think this is vintage at least.

I think you can't go wrong with this one. Good eye!

 

Aha! Note that the number 391 in Firenze was assigned to Salimbeni SNC in 1973. Given the use of the same name, it's possible that Renato transferred to a corporation that uses his name or that the family took over. Perhaps Renato died?

 

from one of the links INH posted
Specialist manufacturer of gold and silverwares applied with fire enamels. Established in 1891 by Ernest Otto Abele of Pforzheim together with Corrado Lotti and Dino Naldi of Firenze. By 1936, Dino Naldi was running the business by himself, and this situation continued until after the war when he took his son-in-law, Renato Salimbeni into partnership. Dino Naldi died in 1963 and Renato was joined by his sons, Franco and Giorgio, the current owners of the business.

Trev.

 

bakers, if another silversmith had the number, wouldn't they show up somewhere?

 

Pretty little frame and a lovely little girl! Can't add anything, though I can't say I recall that the Italian maker's numbers were reassigned...

~Cheryl

 

A gorgeous frame by a good name, BMRT. Great condition too, and is it partly gilded?
Here is another one:
https://lapada.org/art-and-antiques...d-enamel-photograph-frame-vintage-circa-1970/

S.n.c. stands for 'Società in nome collettivo', it is a company form in which several partners have joint liability for finances and debts. Salimbeni could have become an S.n.c. when the business was passed to Renato's two sons.