Difficult mark to read.

[paulh]

This is a nice little Russian sweet dish with a good clear Kokoshnik mark for Moscow with Assay Master Ivan Lebedkin. However the maker’s mark is rather distorted and difficult to decipher. Would anyone care to venture an opinion?

Paul.



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[Qrt.S]

HUH!!!! But a guess as good as any other: ИМ, Ivan Nikolajev Mnekin Moscow 1886-1909, but.....???
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[paulh]

Thanks for the information. I did think that the letters were ИМ, but the only reference I could find was listed as "unknown". This was is Paulsen's book. Do you have a reference I don't know about?

Paul.
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[Qrt.S]

First of all, I didn't say it is ИМ. It was a good guess only.
Secondly, it's rather difficult for me to know what books you use yourself, isn't it :-)

Anyway, in this case the book is a Russian book ЗОЛОТОЕ И СЕРЕБРЯНОЕ ДЕЛО (Gold and silver "matters"). The authors are Postnikova-Loseva-Uljanova, Nauka 1983 Moskva . Currently probably the best book dealing with Russian/Soviet silver marks. It's is a rather well known book. However, there are some other books too.

To me this Paulsen's book is unknown, please provide some more info regarding it.
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[paulh]

I realise that there will never be a conclusive answer to this marker’s identity. ИМ is the majority verdict at the moment. Thanks for the information about “ЗОЛОТОЕ И СЕРЕБРЯНОЕ ДЕЛО”
I will try to find a copy.

The “Paulson” book I referred to is “A Guide to Russian Silver Hallmarks” by Paul L Paulson. Published in 1976. It is only a small book, for some reason, it does seem to include information not published in other books.
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[Juke]

Hi!

I can add that the Paul L Paulson's book is one of the copies in english which is made from the Postnikova. There are some errors also in the Paulson's book.

Your item is a sugar bowl, with typical round shape and ball feet. Quite often these bowl's have engravings with flower's etc but there are also those without them.

Regards,
Juke
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[Qrt.S]

Thanks Juke, I didn't know that. In other worlds it is the same as Geoffrey Watts book then? How come then that Mnekin isn't mentioned in Paulsson's book? In Postnikova hes mark is #2502.
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[admin]

Paulson's book, a 34 page pamphlet, only includes marks from the 1974 first edition of Postnikova.

Regards, Tom
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