The 833s and 171 are not official dutch marks. The mark with the export key in it is the silver mark. Probably the 171 is a number for the design and the 833s stamped by the seller (or at the factory).
Hi Miles, The quality is indeed not as good as some that have survived from Johannes v/d Lely, but I think some of that has to do with wear and tear (done clean your silver too often). It is still a spoon that you will hardly ever see and it will be very hard to find one similar to it. I'm curious a...
Hi Miles, I think it is a very nice spoon that dates from around 1700. The design is unique in the sense that in my catalogues only members of the v/d Lely family made it. But the makers mark is not a mark that I can place. Of course a replica could have been made, but looks good to me. The marks sh...
I agree that it is a Frisian maker. When I was going through my books I got a shock when I realized what it could be (but it wasn't). The only maker I could find for this type of spoon is Johannes van der Lely. He was one of the most famous Dutch silversmiths, but the mark disagrees with me. Also th...
Hi, I think it's definatly Dutch, but need to investigate further on the maker. So far it seems like it's a birthspoon from a family that was involved in the tabacco trade with the west indies (america). The figure is obviously a native and the "rest" might be a cigar mold. But it's a very...
Such a shame old traditions die. Maybe I should build some modern versions and sell them on to the local pubs. Maybe where you need to blow up a dress or something. .
I believe you need to blow on the pipe to set the mill running and before it stops, you should have drank the cup empty and placed it back on the table (upside down). .
Hi, You will need a "blackening candle" for that, the same type they use in etching. Mostly they are available in shops that sell art tools. http://www.petervanginkel.nl/foto.php?type=boom&id=1557" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; shows what they look like (a long strand o...