Russian spoon, help on marks

[Niek van Wijk]

Dear forum,

On your site I found that this spoon is probably Russian silver.
Could anyone tell me more, like period, city, maker etc.?
Thank you in advance for your help.
Best regards, Niek

[img][img]http://j.imagehost.org/0432/lepel_achter.jpg[/img][/img]
[img][img]http://j.imagehost.org/0389/lepel_detail.jpg[/img][/img]
[img][img]http://j.imagehost.org/0292/lepel_merken.jpg[/img][/img]
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[Qrt.S]

Before any answers can given I like to know whether you bought it recently or has it been in the family for years. There is a good reason for this question which I will tell you later. The next questions is that what Greek letter is in the end of the arrow (see picture).

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[Niek van Wijk]

Dear Qrt,

Thank you for your reply. Approximately three years ago we got it from a friend (she didn't like it) who got it from an aunt. So probably (many) more than five years.

I shall try to clean up the mark and make a new picture (and post it) asap.

Best regards, Niek
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[Niek van Wijk]

Dear Qrt,

Here is a better picture of the marks. It looks like the background is guilded, it s not dirt. Our friend told us that she had received the spoon more than twenty years ago from her aunt. To me the Greek letter looks like a "delta".

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[Qrt.S]

OK, now we are getting somewhere. Yes, you spoon is Russian silver 875/1000. The Greek letter delta tells us that it is made in Moscow between 1908-1917(27). The maker is MA but who he is, is a long haul because there are alternatives. I have to investigate and if I find someone suitable, I'll tell you. However, maybe some one else here knows him, wait and see.

The reason for asking the spoon's provenience was, that nowadays too many forged spoons and especially enameled are circulating on the market. If you had answered that you just bought it from the flea market or from an unknown person on the street, the likelihood of the spoon being forged would have been rather high.

In your case the likelihood is low. Anyway, just looking at a picture and decide fake or not is not the best starting point for such decision making. You should have it in your hands and investigate it. Kindly read also this thread:

viewtopic.php?p=45694#45694
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[Qrt.S]

Ahh, now I see that it's not necessarily MA it could also be ИА, we'll see...
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[Niek van Wijk]

Dear Qrt,

Thank you for your efforts. I had a closer look and noticed that there is guild in the grooves: probably it was guilded all over and by often polishing most of the guild was removed over the years.
Hope to learn more.............

Best regards,
Niek
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[Qrt.S]

HI again,

It is possible that your spoon has been gilded but time and continuous polishing have worn out the gold layer and only remains are left, or?
Anyway, I have tried to find the maker and also found one prospect. I anticipated that the mark shows ИА, Latin IA. That could be Ivan Alekseevich Alexseev. He was working in Moscow around the turn of the century. However, I'm cannot be 100% sure of it.

Have a nice day, here it's raining, the snow is melting and soon we have a flood :-)

Qrt.S
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[Niek van Wijk]

Dear Qrt,

Thank you for the time you were willing to devote to this simple coffeespoon. It is nice to know so many details on one of the objects which one has gathered over the years and which are surrounding him every day.

Best regards, Niek
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[Postnikov]

Hi -

to give you more informations for your nice and flawless spoon (ca. 90 years old!), here are some details:

The used technique is called "enamel cloisonné, twisted silver wires were soldered in a certain pattern (there existed contless different patterns) to the surface of the spoon and than filled with enamel (glass) in different colours. After "baking" each colour in a special oven - a very time consuming work - the spoon was gilded, cleaned and polished - ready to sell.
This work was done in one of the numerous workshops around Moscow, famous for their enamel. Tip: if you find some enamelled object, it is always from Moscow even if you can not read the townmark! Often the marks are very hard to decipher. Your marks are clear and easy to read and as Qrt.S already stated, the maker is Aleksejev, Ivan Aleksejewitsch. This is a typical Russian habbit: family name, sure name and father´s name.
The silversmith Aleksejev was well known for his enamel work, mostly oklads (frames) for icons.
The marks from left to right: master´s mark ИА = (lat) IA
Kokoshnik (state) mark with townmark Delta = Moscow
84 = silver content 84 Zolotniki = 875/1000
The crosswise laying mark means = weight less than 8,5 gramm, check on scale :-)
An absolute authentic and nice spoon!

Now you have all you must know, sorry for the repetitions what Qrt.S already told you.

Regards
Postnikov
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[Niek van Wijk]

Dear Postnikov,

Thank you very much for this additional information! It is the only Russian object I have and it makes me think of my old-uncle Nicolaas van Wijk - same name as mine - who lived for a while in Moscow (in 1903 in the Leontjevskij pereulok) to study the Russian language. Later he tought o.a. Russian al the Leyden university.

Best regards,
Niek
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[Niek van Wijk]

P.S.: the spoon weighs 20 grams......
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[Postnikov]

Hi -

in Imperial Russia only silver was assayed - not enamel! Your spoon was fabricated, assayed with all proper marks then finished (enamelled and gilded) - now you know that the enamel + gilding weights appr. 12 Gramm.

If you now ask me what the name of the vendor was - I have to quit....

Regards
Postnikov
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[Niek van Wijk]

Dear Postnikov,

Thank you for your explanation. I actually would not have been surprised if you had known the name of the vendor too..........

Best regards, Niek
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