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Okay, I’ll start the discussion with my input about your first hypothesis (Nice XVIII C): Technique: This bowl doesn’t look hand-raised as you’d expect for the XVIII C, but rather machine-spun as evidenced by the fine striations. There is no centering mark. Design motif: While the anthemions around ...

My pleasure. I forgot to mention that the piercing work on this item is nice quality.

I believe the maker's initials are FL, not FJ. What looks like the curve of a J is the serif on the bottom of an L. If so, then this is the mark of François-Marie Lecour, maker of smalls (la petite orfèvrerie). His symbol was a crowned cup (une coupe courronnée). See Arminjon, V. I, no. 01166, p....

Hello Steve - Your picture frame was made in France after 1973 for export, as indicated by the “baraque” or house shaped mark - a square topped by a triangle - used on light-weight objects. It is made of 950 standard silver as indicated by 950M. I believe the maker might be Alphonse Debain. Hope thi...

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This is the mark of Gustave Camproger. See Arminjon no. 01916, p.185. The symbol is not a tree but a type of shrub called "un camphrier." Camproger worked in Paris at 17 rue Chapon from 1854-1870. His specialty was tobacco-related items.

The head of a Greek woman also called “la petite Marianne” was an unofficial assay mark. This mark was used by makers after the suppression of the French guilds in the post-revolutionary period to try to maintain their credibility in the eyes of the public. As it was an unofficial mark, some makers ...

You are welcome. Have you searched the whole box for the discharge mark? Often these marks are not punched in the same place as the others, and as they are very small can be easy to overlook. Good luck in your search for the maker.

This is what I see: The poinçon du fermier général also called the poinçon de marque, or tax assessor’s mark in use 1 October 1738 - 1 October 1744. The name of the fermier général during that time was Louis Robin. He did not assay objects. The tax assessor’s marks for Paris were an A with a c...

I share your scepticism that this is an 18th C object based on its style and the placement and size of the marks. The charge mark struck on the very edge of the bottom of the cup seems odd, and the charge and date marks look oversize compared to the maker's mark. Is the dark spot a centering mark or...

Just to complete the answer to the question, this item is made of silverplate as shown by Puiforcat's mark in a square.

This appears to be a fruit / dessert knife. They usually measure 19-21 cm in length as opposed to dinner knives that are longer and usually have a steel blade. Hope this provides the explanation you are seeking.

Yes, if blade has Minerva head mark it is silver. Silver-bladed knives are usually fruit or dessert knives. If you post a picture of the knife and its length we could see if it looks like a fruit / dessert knife. The mark in a lozenge on the blade is also a maker's mark, maybe the same maker as the ...

Here are some explanations: first mark is the Minerva head mark in an octagonal reserve. This is the French mark in use after 1838 for 950 standard silver. Second mark in a lozenge is a maker’s mark for the cutler Vital-Antoine Cardeilhac. Initials VC separated by a crowned cross of the Legion of Ho...

This is the mark of Truman Bailey, an American who helped to revive the Peruvian silver manufacturing industry in the post-WW II era. He incorporated pre-Columbian motifs in his work, as well as mid-century modernistic designs. The mark is a vertical B sitting on a horizontal T. Hope this adds to th...

As indicated by the marking METAL BLANC, your tray is not made of silver but of nickel, a white coloured base metal. Nickel silver is called métal blanc in French. I do not know the name of the manufacturer.

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It is interesting to note the enduring popularity of the Louis XV style pattern.

This is a Louis XV style pattern. Most French makers had such a pattern in their product line from the mid-19th to early 20th C, and named it simply Louis XV. Based on the length and shape of the fork I think it is a serving fork from either an hors d'oeuvre or bonbon set.

In terms of style this is a neo-Renaissance pattern. David Allan in his book on 19th C French flatware shows a set of 12 silver and vermeil teaspoons by this maker in a similar style with openwork handles and mascarons on the terminal ends (p. 119).

To add to this response, Labat & Pugibet succeeded their uncle, the maker Joseph Adoue. Labat & Pugibet worked in Paris at 84, rue Quincampoix from 29 November 1877 until 19 January 1897. François Labat continued the business on his own until 23 January 1920. Labat & Pugibet were wholes...