Featured Guess the country, we've seen this recently

Good Afternoon Everyone,

As promised, I've been meaning to get a few posts on the forum again. Today I had the opportunity to receive an item I've been waiting on for a bit, and I wanted to share it with you. As mentioned in the title, this piece hails from a country identical to a piece I recently acquired. That made it super easy to identify when I was looking for silver online. I took somewhat of a gamble on the price since I didn't know the weight or size at the time, but I was pleasantly surprised to see it is deceptively heavy. I haven't had a chance to polish it yet, that will be my project tonight. Price was about $150, I hope you enjoy:

 

No idea on the country, but it's a beautiful piece. If that is sterling you got it for an amazing price.

Following this post!

 

Spain - pentagram on the right and maker's mark on the left (although I do not know maker offhand.)

https://www.925-1000.com/foreign_marks6.html

 

Is it a sugar bowl or larger?

 

I would say it’s larger, I can get measurements today.

 

Larger than what, Nate?

 

Antiediem asked if it is a sugar bowl or larger, so I was responding saying I think it's larger than a sugar bowl. Measurements:

From handle to handle it's 8" wide. The width of the bowl excluding the handles is 6 1/4". The height including the lid is 5 3/4" tall.

 

Sorry, I missed that. I was up most of the night. Nap is in order.

 

Thanks MrNate, yes that's much larger at 8" wonder what it's used for?

LOL see ya on the insomnia thread, Bakers!

 

Great question, I'm not really sure...how about footed service bowl??

 

That's so interesting. How would you describe the maker's mark? A sunburst?

Debora

 

That's a better description than I would have been able to think of. So far, no luck finding the maker. It seems that the online collection of maker's marks from Spain isn't very robust.

 

I doodled around Google Spain but couldn't find it either. Spanish silver doesn't seem to be very well documented.

Debora

 

That's great info. I'm not complaining at all with my score, but I would be okay to trade for that one... by the looks of it in silver weight it's over three times as heavy as my little guy.

 

Personally, not really seeing Spanish Colonial, and not sure why the similar larger one is described as "19th Century Victorian Spanish Sterling Silver" when it clearly bears the same Spanish quality mark as yours, 'Plata de Ley' (.915 1st standard), in use after 1934. It's 19th century in style only, a small tureen, still a pretty common item, in various sizes and styles, for many Spanish silver manufacturers - can't shake the feeling I've seen the maker's mark before, but no luck in finding it...

Small silver tureen (pequeña sopera de plata) images:
https://www.google.com/search?q=pequeña+sopera+de+plata&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwiNk-G8k_ftAhVItFMKHdVXBggQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=pequeña+sopera+de+plata&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQDDIECCMQJzoHCCMQ6gIQJ1CHlGtYgtVrYJfxa2gBcAB4BIAB7gOIAdkLkgEJMC4yLjMuMC4xmAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWewAQrAAQE&sclient=img&ei=lTTtX830BsjozgLVr5lA&bih=754&biw=1536

Silver tureen (sopera de plata) images:
https://www.google.com/search?q=sop...mg&ei=5y3tX-fEBcmjzwLO6qWQBQ&bih=754&biw=1536

~Cheryl

 

Very little information comes up for me on this one, other than it's small like yours, marked as .915, and that they want to associate it with Jensen (ummm, nooo):

https://www.todocoleccion.net/antig...nsen-plata-ley-punzonada-680-gramos~x43645818




~Cheryl

 

Wonderful links Cheryl, I wish the rest of the photos loaded on that old listing, but I 100% agree that this doesn't resemble Jensen in the slightest. Makes me wonder if they aren't referencing a different Jensen. This isn't a match, but just for reference there's a Jenson & Sons that manufactured in Spain:

https://www.catawiki.com/l/17782557-jensen-sons-silver-pair-of-jugs-marked-spain-1952

 

Ahhh, the maker's mark on those indicate a Barcelona maker, though I couldn't make out the number - suppose another possibility for 'Jensen' was something purchased at Georg Jensen's Barcelona retail store, they were in a number of major cities worldwide, and usually sold quality items by other manufacturers as well (not just silver).

I see so many odd items described as Jensen-like, or Jensenesque, or 'possibly Jensen', that I just figured they saw a somewhat similar overall shape and blossom finial and were comparing it to something like Jensen's 1918-designed #262 bonbonnière', (frustrating when only a bit of something remains on a link):





~Cheryl

 

Well, I never. Here's the only reference I can find but it does confirm Jensen wares were sold in Spain.

"By 1909, art dealer Carl Dyhr opened a shop with the Georg Jensen line, and shops in London, Paris, and Barcelona soon followed."

https://www.jensensilver.com/dansk-smykker-danish-jewelry?rq=barcelona

Debora