www.925-1000.com

I have a silver (probably sterling based on some chemical testing) serving spoon, 8.5" long, with a bowl width of 1.75". The only markings are: "ISM", "13 1/2"(?) and a five-petal flower(?) symbol.



I have searched your site and several others, and not found anything like this.

Can you help identify this piece?

I suspect this is a hand-made "Arts & Crafts" type item, as the handle seems to be rolled with an embossed design at the end, and the bowl appears to be hammered. Compared to factory-made sterling flatware, the bowl and handle are quite thin, and easily flexed or bent. It weighs 33.49 grams.

Here are some additional photos:

If the images don't appear in my post for some reason, here are direct links to those images:

http://www.applied-cs-inc.com/silverPix/hallmarks.jpg

http://www.applied-cs-inc.com/silverPix/top.jpg

http://www.applied-cs-inc.com/silverPix/bottom.jpg

http://www.applied-cs-inc.com/silverPix ... handle.jpg

http://www.applied-cs-inc.com/silverPix ... d-bowl.jpg

Hi,

Welcome to the Forum.

I'm sure our Scandinavian members can tell you more, but your spoon is Norwegian, from Trondheim. the 13½ is the standard 13½/16 = 844/1000.

Please remember in future posts to keep your images to within the 7" (18cm) guidelines.

See: http://www.925-1000.com/Fnorway_marks3.html#1

Trev.

Outstanding! Thanks for the most helpful info.

When I first tried to post the "additional images", it failed with an error indicating that images needed to be 1000 pixels wide or less. So, I scaled the imagewidths to that number of pixels, and they posted OK. Seven inches (18cm) sounds more like a "print size", which does not really have much to do with the image file size, or the number of pixels.

Do I need to adjust the print-size as well as the actual image size (in pixels)?

Thanks again,
Dave

Hi Dave,

Boy, are you asking the wrong guy! I'm a dinosaur regarding such things, I just adjust the size using Microsoft's 'Paint' programme, and hold a measuring tape up to the screen! lol. Maybe another member can advise.

Trev.

OK, no problem!

I may be a "dinosaur" (almost 71 years old), but I'm a photographer & computer-tech guy from the 1960s, and a Systems programming consultant since 1988, specializing in Unix and Unix-like systems admin, system software design & development, etc. I wouldn't use "MS Windows" on a bet - too insecure, expensive & fundamentally flaky. Besides, anything most people do on MS Windows, can be done better, easier, and for free, on a PC or laptop running the Linux operating system and free applications like GIMP and LibreOffice.

But this is probably way off-topic on this forum, so I will stop there.

Thanks again for helping ID the silver item. Now, if it turns out to be "rare" besides, I'll be a really happy camper ;-)

The maker is Johan Schaenning Middelthon, born in Trondhiem 12 Feb 1826, son of goldsmith Gottlieb Middelthon & his wife Henrietta Gottfredine Wulff. He apprenticed in Bergen, became a master there on 25 Nov 1851 and married there on 9 Mar 1853 to Michaeline Christine Tvedt, daughter of Bergen goldsmith Michael Arentz Tvedt. However, he must’ve maintained connections in Trondheim, for he became a citizen there on 8 Nov 1852 and returned there permanently in May 1853. He died on 20 Jul 1890.

Ref: Thorvald Krohn-Hansen, Trondheims Gullsmedkunst 1550-1850 (Oslo/Bergen: Universitetsforlaget, 1963), p. 184, maker #69.

Possible clue? I just noticed on the back of the handle someone has very faintly written "B B 1856", in a fancy script, in a series of dots - possibly using a modern "vibrating engraver". It is faintly visible by zooming in on the "bottom.jpg" image posted ealier, but here is a cropped, rotated and enlarged portion of that image:



Could this be a clue to the origin and a date for this item?

If you think more detail would be helpful, just ask. I can post a hi-definition closeup taken with a "real" camera, instead of my Android phone ;-)

The engraving is not modern it is from the time and rather commonly used in Denmark and Norway. In Swedish it is called "prickgravering" or "tremblering". In English something like "dot engraving/(trembling?)".

Minor additions, The master's second name is Schønning (Schoenning). My source tells that he died 19.7.1891 (Norsk Sølv, gullsmeder gjennom 600 år, Sigrid Wegge Tandberg (Cappelen Damm 2013) #1910. He had two sons both goldsmiths, Tvedt Middleton and Johan Schønning

Middleton.

Wow, this forum is an outstanding resource, especially for "newbies" like me!

FWIW, here's a better picture of the "prickgravering":



My only remaining questions are:

1 - does this engraving represent the date the piece was made, and maybe the silversmith's initials?

2 - where might I find some other pieces like this?

This piece has turned out to be much more interesting that I ever expected.

Thank you all for your input!

Dave

Closer examination of the pattern:



suggested that, instead of being embossed, the pattern itself is a separate piece of silver. Subsequent 30x microscopic examination clearly shows a bead of solder running around the edge of the pattern, and even a small gap where the solder has deteriorated (or failed to flow) revealing what appears to be a sharp edge on the applied pattern piece. Unfortunately, I don't have a camera on my microscope, so the above photo is as detailed as I can be at this time.

Is such a technique typical for mid-19th century Norwegian silversmiths?

The decoration is thypical Norway. Its called "Musling" Danish for Shell or mussels.
The initials is owners initials. And its a very common to put initials.

BB is the name - could be Bjørn Bjørnsen. Ofter you see 3 letter initials where last letter is D _ Datter/Dotter or similar depending of origin. Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland for Daughter
or
S = Son/Søn/Sen for the boys. In Sweden all names are lige Persson, Hansson, Pettersson or similar. In Denmark Sorensen, Petersen, Pedersen, Hansen, Andersen and Norway was Danish until beginning 1800 then Swedish for a hundred years, then independent.

Often the year = day of manufacture. But often date is added later.

I have 6 spoons. 2 of those where from 1760ties. In 1790ties they had 4 more made using the 2 old ones as models. The 6 where then given at a wedding (could be that parents gave spoons to son or daughter) - a prick engravement was added. So on 2 of the spoons it was added at two 30 years old spoons. On 4 it was added on new spoons. In the 1820ties a new set of initials was added. Often you see 3 - 4 or 5 set of initials on a beaker.

Most interesting!

I worked on a computer software consulting contract (1983-1984) in Sweden (at Ericsson Information Systems, in Linköping - och jag fortfarande förstå lite svenska (men mitt ordförråd har minskat betydligt sedan dess). This is one of the reasons I am so pleased to learn about this item's Scandanavian origin and history.

Tack så mycket!

Dave