marks on ornate fork

[DianaGaleM]

I'm having trouble identifying this mark. It's stamped on the back of the middle tine (not the handle) of an exceedingly ornate, three-tined serving fork. I don't see how I can upload a photo of the entire fork, due to copyright concerns, but I think I'm safe in extracting just the isolated the mark from one image:



As I said, the fork is very ornate. There is even an exquisitely detailed three-dimensional sailing ship on the tip of the handle.

Any thoughts?

[Ubaranda]

It's Netherlands. See topic viewtopic.php?f=5&t=32028 in Dutch silver section.

[oel]

Hi,

If you rotate your image 90 degrees to the right you might recognize the maker’s mark, a hammer between two Z for; Zaanlandse Zilversmederijen n.v./b.v., Haarlem & Amsterdam mark used 1920/1990. See below:


viewtopic.php?f=5&t=28590
Zaanlandse Zilversmederij with outlets/workshops/factories in Amsterdam and later in Haarlem. They were famous for silver with Old Dutch scenes and silverware copies of older famous styles. Zaanlandse founded in 1875 by Gerardus Schoorl(1848-1915) in Zaandijk. Around the turn of the 19th century Antique Dutch silver was in high demand and Gerardus Schoorl became an active supplier. Zaanlandse Zilversmederij became famous for Old Dutch style silverware and turned into a family owned business. The Zaanlandse Zilversmederij ‘s factory closed its doors in 1973 and the company ceased to exist in 1990.
Your date letter could be the U for 1955.




Best,

Oel.

[DianaGaleM]

Thank you! I didn't think I would find out so much so quickly – and it does help to have the mark in the correct orientation. Duhh. And, yes, "old Dutch scenes" describes the piece very well.

Thanks, again,
Diana