Postby Joerg » Sun Mar 04, 2012 11:11 am
Hi Mandy
I am not an expert in styles, but let my try:
to answer your question about the style: The silversmith was active in the Art Nouveau period. Art Nouveau was a very short living style, starting in the late 1890, and at the outbreak of WWI it was already over. One of the key elements of art nouveau is a radical break with the previous styles, mainly Historicism which was very popular from the 1850ies onward. You recognize Art Nouveau by the use of natural forms, curved lines and flowers.
In parallel to Art Nouveau, the "traditional" Historicism style lived on until the 1920ies in Germany and much longer for example in the USA.
Even if your item is from the correct period for Art Nouveau, I would categorize your item to the Historicism style. The curved ornaments and the flowers from Art Nouveau are there, but they lack the dominance they have on Art Nouveau. So Historicism with some ideas borrowed from Art Nouveau.
Of course I am open for other opinions.
Kind regards
Jörg