Featured Bottle/Decanter Stoppers

Bought these four bottle stoppers today

This one seems to have been used for the celebration of the jubilee of the Southern Dutch Contractors Association

And am I imaginging things, or does this little man

have the sword mark for Dutch silver?

I can't find any maker's mark.

 

It could be either a Dutch or a Belgian sword mark, difficult to see.

 

What's the difference between the 2?

I should have taken the photos before I polished it... Now it reflects too much light to be able to take a clear photo of the mark...

 

The Belgian sword has diagonal lines on the lower part.
The Dutch one either has lines following the outline, or it has the fineness on the lower part, depending on the period. Dutch swords also have slightly different shapes in different periods.

 

Not clear on the photos, but I think the sword does indeed seem to have lines on the handle

 

Ah, I was looking at the wrong part. Now I see what you mean

I don't think I see those lines, so this would possibly be the Dutch 1906-1953 mark

 

That means post-1905 Dutch, or early Belgian. Given the style and execution of the little guy I would say post-1953 Dutch, in which case it should have the fineness on the lower part.

The lower part is the sheath, because you generally don't carry your sword upright in you hand, it is too tiresome.

 

I can't see any detail in the lower part, no lines, and no fineness. But I think the thickness of the sword means post-1953. But I could be wrong.

 

I've taken another look at the mark, this time with a 20x loupe, and I don't see any numbers, but it's hard to see as the mark is so close to the figure, and I can't get the loupe close enough. I do think I'm seeing the lines of the 1906-1953 mark, but the mark still seems to have a bit of dirt, so I will try to clean it a bit more tomorrow and take another look.

Still haven't been able to find a maker's mark. Is it possible that there isn't one?

Apparently I am not the pacifist I thought I was, as I was imagining the sword as it would be used in a battle

 

Yes, it is.

(reaches for a suitable keris....)

I agree, it is the 1906-1953 one. It is probably the dirt that makes the blade look more broad than it actually is.

 

Made close to the end of use of this mark, then?

 

I think so.
It looks like the little guy is modeled after a (bronze) statue. Maybe one in Zeeland, with that hat and huge double buckle. Could you show us the hat, so I can see the shape and know where to look?

 

Will take more pics tomorrow

Earlier today I took another photo, as I wonder if there is a maker's mark after all.
I took a look at this part before, but the top bit looked like two lines to me, so I ignored it. But upon a second look today, it looked like a B to me, and then my mind was set to seeing letters in the rest of that section as well, so now I'm also seeing a C and a T and possibly a 4th letter

 

And here are the additional pics of the man and his hat

 

Dutch maker's marks of that period had a cartouche around it, often ribbon shaped, though not always.

 

Some artistic license when it comes to the hat, but along with the collar and lapels combo and the big round double buckles, I say Zeeland and Protestant.
This gent is from Zuid Beveland, but the dress was similar on most of the other peninsulas and islands:

 

And I say, I think you're right! Thanks!

 

Look what I found, thanks to your info, @Any Jewelry:
https://www.kikizilver.nl/winkel/ar...eren-wijnstop-zeeuwse-klederdracht-1925-1942/

1925 and 1942, according to the seller
As maker they have Bijkamp Steenwijk. I guess they mean Bijkamp & Co., from Steenwijk