Mysterious hallmark looks like Middle East?

[muraille]

Would appreciate comments as to possible origin of the following:

[Hada]

These marks don't look middle eastern at all.

Regards,
Hada

[2209patrick]

Hello.

Believe those silverplate marks were used by the Federal Silver Company, New York City.
In business at least from 1920 to 1961.

Pat.

[muraille]

Thanks for the comments, though I don't think Federal did this kind of work. How about Forbes?

[admin]

Unless both, Rainwater and the JCK misattributed the mark, it is Federal. What makes you think it could not be Federal?
Regards, Tom

[muraille]

I was looking at the Federal hallmark in the silvercollection.it website and it wasn't at all like this one. Nor on the chigagosilver website, nor on eBay items. However, after another search, I found one item with this mark also attributed to Federal, so I am sure you are right. But is confusing when one manufacturer uses all kinds of different marks.

Does anyone know whether this one corresponds to a special period or a special line of products?

Again, thank you very much for your help.

[admin]

Many manufacturers had variations in their marks, some changed over time, others changed with product lines.
Finding the applicable time frames to these variations is often difficult or impossible, there are very, very few makers that have excited enough interest amongst collectors or historians to bring about in-depth research into them.

Regards, Tom

[admin]

Forgot to mention...
I believe your piece would date to from the mid 40s or early 50s. The style is derivative of Danish Art Nouveau, which came late to America. In the late 30s many American manufacturers, impressed by the success that Georg Jensen was enjoying here, wanted a piece of the pie and started producing flatware and holloware that was very similar in design to Jensen products. International succeeded with patterns like "Royal Danish" and "Northern Lights", FM Whiting with "Princess Ingrid", Tiffany with "Palmette", to name a few. Frederick Lunning's Jensen USA did the same with jewelry and other lines like Horwig's "Viking Craft" appeared. Studio silversmiths like Peer Smed, Alphonse LaPaglia and William G. DeMatteo also produced some fine holloware in this style.
I don't imagine a small firm like Federal would have been in the forefront of the trend, they probably took a "wait and see" position and jumped in when they saw it was a safe venture.
Regards, Tom

[muraille]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. It's great to get an education!