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Family Heirloom Marks?
Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 2:24 pm
by Sundancewy2002
Good Day to all,
This Desk Set/ Toilet Set? has been in the family for generations. I have searched for many times the hallmarks. Perhaps someone here could help me figure this out. Any help would be appreciated.



Thank you,
Re: Family Heirloom Marks?
Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 5:16 pm
by dognose
Hi Sundancewy2002,
Welcome to the Forum.
Your thumbnail images are too small for indentification. Please post some larger photos.
Trev.
Re: Family Heirloom Marks?
Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 7:37 pm
by Sundancewy2002


Hope these came out better than the last post
Thank you again!
Re: Family Heirloom Marks?
Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 8:27 pm
by blakstone
It looks very nice! You really must post larger pictures of the entire set so that we can fully appreciate it.
The marks are those of Johann Joachim Krusemann, working 1778-1804 in Riga, Latvia, with the guild alderman's letter "E" for 1768-1780. The armorial is that of the city of Riga, and I note that my reference - Annelore Lestikow''s Baltisches Silber (Luneberg: Inst. Nordostdeutsches Kulturwerk, 1996), p. 322 - mentions a silver-gilt plate in a private collection with both the Riga ams and these exact marks and therefore very possibly from the same service.
Hope this helps!
Re: Family Heirloom Marks?
Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 8:44 pm
by Sundancewy2002
Thank You Blakstone,
I do appreciate your help. I have attached another photo

Patricia
Re: Family Heirloom Marks?
Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 10:19 pm
by blakstone
Very nice indeed. It looks like several pieces from an extensive nécessaire de voyage, which could contain not only dressing and toilette items but also dining and desk implements as well. Your set appears to be parcel gilded, i.e. that some parts (like the laurel banding) were intentionally left unglided to show the original silver color as a contrast to the gold.
The set would be enormously enhanced by proper cleaning, but I emphasize the word "proper". Most commercial silver polishes contain an abrasive that can strip off the gilding; it looks like one of the covered cups here already has large area where this has happened. Cleaning and polishing gilt and parcel gilt isn't difficult, but it is imperative that you know what you're doing. For this set, you want to make that you entrust the job to someone who does.
Thank again for sharing!
Re: Family Heirloom Marks?
Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 3:39 am
by Zolotnik
Hi Sundancewy2002 -
here the by blakstone mentioned page 332 from Leistikow/Baltisches Silber. Very interesting and rare objects!

Regards
Zolotnik
Re: Family Heirloom Marks?
Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 12:10 pm
by Sundancewy2002
Thank you very much Zolotnick and Blakstone for your expertise! Your help is greatly appreciated!
Re: Family Heirloom Marks?
Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 9:05 pm
by Sundancewy2002
I sure wish I could translate the book. Thank you again for all your help!
Patricia
Re: Family Heirloom Marks?
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 2:49 am
by dognose
Hi Patricia,
Welcome to the Forum.
Try this:
http://translate.google.com/?hl=en&tab=wT#Not brilliant, but gives you the basics.
Trev.
Re: Family Heirloom Marks?
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 3:45 am
by Zolotnik
Hi Patricia -
here is the translation of the shown text:
Krusemann, Johann Joachim 1778-1804
born in the vicinity of Dorpat. Until 31.08.1775 he worked in the workshop of J. Silverstädt. On 28.01.1778 he finished his master piece in the workshop of Friedrich Anton Braun. Since 12.03.1778 elderman. 1803 he worked with the journey man Johann Ernst Schönborn. In the official eldermen´s books mentioned until 1804.
Print 57 gilded plate with prominent sized townshield of Riga, priv. poss.
Print D16 sugar bowl, priv. poss.
Photo Leistikow 16, 7-24, 2x mastermark without assay mark, cocolatepot with rechaud,GDG, inventory Nr. 1990-38/3
Regards
Zolotnik
Re: Family Heirloom Marks?
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 6:45 pm
by Sundancewy2002
Thank you Trev and Zolotnick! Great Information to have, and very apppreciated. Do you know of a good book I should purchase to study these paticular items further. Like the monogram T.R or J.R and perhaps the explanation of the imperial double eagle with the triple crown. I would love to follow the items back in time so to speak. Have a great weekend!
Many Thanks,
Patricia
Re: Family Heirloom Marks?
Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 1:51 am
by dognose
Hi Patricia,
There are 2,500 posts in this Russian section, plus those in the single image section, that contain a vast amount of information contributed by our Russian silver experts. I'm sure that you'll find much of what you want to know within these forums.
Regards Trev.
Re: Family Heirloom Marks?
Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 10:11 pm
by Sundancewy2002
Thanks Trev! I have done more research and I can't Thank you All enough for your help. I am so pleased.
Many Blessings,
Patricia