Silver Tongs, tea strainer spoons Maker?

[jwlynn]

hello group, great info here, I found these in a relatives estate and am trying to identify maker. The mark looks to be a brid of some kind, the numbers 88, and a cyrillic NX. Any halep would be appreciated. I have pictures of these but the files are too large to upload. These are silver with enameling

[piette]

Hi and welcome to the forums!
Without pictures it is very difficult to say please try uploading the pictures (Try uploading here http://www.imagehost.org/ ) and you will get a much better answer.

The number 88 indicates the silver purity. The two most common purities used were 84 (.875 fineness) and 88 (.916 fineness). Yours ofcourse if the latter.

By the bird do you mean a two headed imperial eagle sign? This was a mark used on objects made by the court jewellers. It would help if you could show pictures.

Also for the mark in cyrillic letters do you mean it reads ИХ? If so, this is cyrillic for IH. This would suggest the maker Ivan Khlebnikov, who was a court jeweller although without seeing your item, it is difficult to judge wether they are genine or not - there are many many fakes around.

Sorry, but we do not discuss value on this site.

Regards,
Piette

[jwlynn]

Thanks for the info, here are a few pics:

http://b.imagehost.org/view/0603/ebay_024
http://b.imagehost.org/view/0559/ebay_020

[jwlynn]

Also, you are correct in your assumption of what the letters look like to me at least, an eagle, the numbers 88 with what looks like the profile of a persons head, and the cyrilic letters that you decifered.

[piette]

Hi,
Here are your items -



Here you have a caddy spoon, a pair of sugar tongs and a sifter spoon. Your items are decorated with en plein enamel.
I have circled the three marks with different colours to refer to them more easily.

I cannot make out what the mark in the red circle is.

The mark in the blue ring is a kokoshnik mark used between 1899 and 1908. I cannot tell who the assayer is, as the picture is too blurred. The kokoshnik mark has the number 88 indicating the silver purity is .916.

The mark in the green ring is the cyrillic letters ИХ although it is not the mark of Ivan Khlebnikov - Khlebnikovs mark has a dot inbetween the letters whereas the mark on your items does not.

I am sure more information will soon follow from other members.

Regards,
Piette

[jwlynn]

Thank you Piette,

For better clarification the mark inside the blue circle looks to be the sideview of a persons head. Am I to assume these are of average at best quality?

[piette]

Hi,
Thank you. What does the mark in the red circle appear to be? That is the one I cannot make out.
Regards,
Piette

[jwlynn]

As best I can tell, it looks like a bird of somesort, I do not have a loop and the magnifying glass does only so good.

[piette]

In that case, this is all the information I can offer about the marks on your item. I am sure someone else will be along soon to comment more on the items themselves.

Regards,
Piette

[Dad]

Hi, All.

I agree. These are very bad photos. But "ИХ" can be Ivan Hlebnikov's factory. It did such subjects.
The sharp photo of marks is necessary. 1899-1908.

Best Reg..

[Postnikov]

Hi jwlynn -

In spite of the very bad detail photos one can say the following (sorry for repeating part of what piette wrote already):

All 3 objects are from Ivan Khlebnikov, a famous Russian silversmith and Court jeweller. The used technique (enamel en plein) is charakteristic for him. This objects are today very rare, exspecially from Khlebnikov! A very, very fine find (more to say is not allowed on this site).

Here 2 photos of one of his marks and a spoon in enamel en plein technique. Please note the colour of the enamel - his favorite.





Regards
Postnikov

[Postnikov]

Hi jwlynn and all -

here some more informations about the wellknown firm of Khlebnikov:

Khlebnikov

The firm was foundedin1867 by Ivan Petrovich Khlebnikov in St. Petersburg In 1871 the whole business was transferred to Moscow, where it survived till 1917. It was one of the more distinguished in Russia and a warranted Court purveyor. In 1882 some 200 craftsmen were employed by Khlebnikov. Khlebnikov´s pieces were executed in the Russian national style and consisted very often of silver and enamel (cloisonné, en plein andespecially plique-à-jour). The firm often exhibited at world fairs and received a distinguished mention at that of 1873 in Vienna.

Marks







A spoon box

[piette]

Interesting to know that these items are by Khlebnikov - I was unaware he used a mark such as the one on these items and could not find one by him that matched this.
Another one to add to my notes! :-)
Am I to assume the mark in the red circle is the Imperial Eagle?
Thank you Dad and Postnikov.
Regards,
Piette

[Postnikov]

Hi piette -

the mark you are looking for is his brand, very hard to decipher, but it looks like that:





Regards
Postnikov

[piette]

Hi Postnikov,
Thank you for this information. It is duely noted. :-)
Am I right to think that Khlebnikov did not always use the imperial eagle mark? Are there any particular reasons that it was used only on some of his objects?
Regards,
Piette

[Postnikov]

Hi piette -

you only find the Imperial Eagle from the year 1881 on, the year when the firm was granted the title of Court Supplier and the right to include The Imperial Double-Headed Eagle in its trade-mark.



Spoons etc. are only marked ИХ

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