Is this a Danish Mark with year?

[maryjean41]

Hello, Just wondering if anyone knows the origin of this mark? Thanks so much for anything you can come up with, thanks and have a great weekend!

[Hose_dk]

You posted under german silver and wrote denmark in subject. Denmark is an independent state - the oldest kingdom in the world. Our flag is the oldest in the world - it fell from the sky in 1219 in Estonia when the danish king was kristening the baltics. And has been national flag ever since. So please review you geography. Germany is another country.

The middle mark is city mark and it is a Hanseatic kogge. Ship from the medieval period. Used as city mark for Tønder from 1600 and for 300 years.
Bøje has a mark MJ in an oval. J beeing the same as in your mark in a square. Danish standard is 4 marks city, month, guardein and master. But that only was carried out in Copenhagen - in small towns there was no guardein. To show that his silver was as good as copenhagen silver we find masters setting their mark (i.e. the same mark) 1 or 2 or 3 or even 4 times.
In your case he set his mark 2 times - very common behaviour.
MJ is (we assume that this mark is a variant of the MJ that Bøje show in a square) Mathias Peter Traustedt born 1770. Got citienship on October 13th 1800 living in Slotsgade (castlestreet in direct translation) dead 1816.

I cannot read the owners initials it is 18?? (1806? perhabs)

He has silver at the Tønder museum. and at Hobro museum. And the he has 6 different hovedvandsæg at various museums. He has produced a lot (a lot) of hovedvandsæg. Most of them in Louis XVI style.

And now being the owner of a nice danish piece - dont mistake denmark with other countries :)

[Hose_dk]

These hovedvandsæg was given by a man to his loved one. When they were engaged. A love gifth. They did not wash, therefor they smelled - so these hovedvandsæg filled with good smelling things. They also included smelling stuff. So when in church and the priest was talking very long - going asleep - just a sniff to the amoniak in the hovedvandsæg and you were fresh again.
A fungus was placed inside the hovedvandsæg to absorb the contents. Is the fungus still present?

In the bottom there is a small - very small room. That was for the coin to bring to the churchs collection for the poor people.

Some danes have large collections of these hovedvandsæg.
Normally they are from Denmark or Norway. And in Denmark they are often from Sønderjylland or Amager. Tønder being in Sønderjylland.

[Hose_dk]

And one more thing they were carried openly so that other people could see the one you had. Preferrable an expensive one.

[maryjean41]

Thank you so much for all the great information. Did not mean to insult The Country of Denmark. This was my 1st time to post here and accidently posted in German Silver blog. By the way, my Grandmother was half Danish. Best regards!

[Hose_dk]

:-)
was it brought to Texas by your grandmother?

Should you ask me the name of the capital in Texas or Alabama - I would get in trouble.
I have it that way when I get a new item I research - then I get familiar with the item and the environment where it was manufactured. The owners etc.
I realy like your hovedvandsæg.

[maryjean41]

Hello, No, unfortunately it did not belong to her. I was a vinaigrette collecter in the 1980's & early 1990's. Bought this in London then but never knew much about it. Thanks again so much for your information and time!