925 repousse Madonna, decipher artist signature?

[GrannySmith]

Greetings. I am trying to decipher the signature on this small silver plaque. I have Googled it every which way I can with no luck.

The name appears to start with an "Otto" or an "Otten" but I am stumped by the last half. The name is followed by a 925 in an oval and a faintly stamped hallmark.

The silver piece measures 2 and 1/2 inches by 6 inches. It is set in a royal blue velvet frame. (Which really should have been lint rolled before I took these photos. Oops.) The back is enclosed with a piece of teak wood.

I hope I have this posted in the right place. I apologize if I do not. I assume it would fall under hand wrought and though I suspect the name is of German origin, the piece feels very American to me.

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.





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[2209patrick]

Hello and welcome.

The lozenge with cut sides mark might be Italian. Check here:
http://www.925-1000.com/Fitalian_marks_01.html

Pat.
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[GrannySmith]

Thank you, Pat. You were right! It did not occur to me to search for the mark by shape and I never would have thought of Italy, though it makes sense now.

Based on what you posted I did a search for Italian surnames ending in O. Thankfully, there are only a few.

The name of the company, not the artist/designer, is Ottaviani. They've been around since 1945 and they also make jewelry, in addition to decorative and religious objects.

Through your link I learned that the lozenge mark contains an MC for the Macerata Province and that the piece dates to sometime between 1944-1968.

This one has had me stumped for a while and I appreciate the help very,very much. Thank you!
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[admin]

Believe the name may be Ottaviani.
Regards, Tom
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