Spanish small ladle

[joho]

Hi all - I think this ladle is Spanish. It is top quality with a hand beaten finish. Can anyone identify the maker? Is he or she well known?

Thanks
John

[ovo]

Hello Joho

Undoubtedly, the spoon is manufactured in Spain. Five-pointed star within an oval was the national hallmark between 1934 and 1985.

The second mark, with the letter B and number 48 within a hexagon indicate the province, Barcelona, and the registration number of the silversmith. This mark was used from 1976?? until 1985.

Sorry, I do not know the name of the silversmith.

[silverport]

Hello John

ovo, »925-1000« member from Madrid, has already set the spotlight on Barcelona, and timeframe 1976 (?) until 1985.

The well almost important cutlery producer of North East of Spain was then »Metales y Platería Ribera S.A.« from Barcelona. In the year 1977 they’ve had 65 year of experience in metal of all kind — and on 9 October 1985 they’ve declared to be insolvent.

Well, Metales y Platería Ribera S.A. was then producer of cutlery, mainly made from Nickel silver, and Electro Plated then after, or from Stainless Steel.

But a producer, who has the dies for machine made cutlery, could with same dies also make cutlery made from silver alloy.

Until yet I haven’t got any answer and more detailed information’s, especially on their pattern, so it’s a guess only:


Maker’s mark — yet unknown to me if there
were usual differences in their application —
very interest full seems to me is their use
of same hexagon as the assay-office mark.

» Coneguda com "Les culleres", Metales y Platería Ribera s.a. fou creada el 1912 per Joaquim Ribera. Instal.lada a la Rbla.Poblenou-Pujades-Pallars-Lutxana, i tot i estar centrada en l'elaboració de coberts d'alpaca i llautó platejats, disposava de forns, premses d'extrusió, trens de laminació i bancs d'estiratge del coure, l'alumini i altres metalls d'una gran capacitat. En aquesta empresa de metal.lúrgia no fèrria, les barres i els perfils que sortien del laminatge eren, en part, comercialitzats. Amb una altra part s'elaboraven coberts, i, així mateix, peces diverses d'acer inoxidable, alumini i ferro estanyat. Tenia també fàbriques al c/Santander i al poble de Sallent. Malgrat la seva importància fins a la dècada dels 70 i haver estat "empresa model" mimada pel franquisme (els treballadors i els veïns la consideraven "una empresa per a tota la vida"), tancà a finals dels anys 80, entre altres causes per la seva mala administració. «

Here follows my translation from Catala:

» Well known, and nicknamed as »The spoons yard«, the »Metal and Silver Ribera Inc.« was founded in 1912 by Joaquim Ribera. In Barcelona they were settled in the district of “Poblenou”, on the streets corner of “Carrer Lutxana” Nr. 72-80 (now: “Carrer de Roc Boronat”) and “Carrer de Pallars”, Nr. 188. [Metro station: Llacuna] Mainly they were specialised in the production of cutlery of Nickel silver and Plated. They had an own metallurgic oven [the only one in Barcelona area] and profile extrusion machines, galvanic installations, rolling mills and other machines for the mass production as well from copper, from aluminium and from other metals. This company of non ferrous metallurgy produced not only for their own necessities, but also half-finished commercial products of bars, profiles with and without lamination. In another part they produced cutlery and similar products; also they made different items from stainless steel, aluminium and tinplate. Also they had production facilities in the “Carrer Santander” and in the “Sallent” district. Although of their important position on the end of the decade of 1970s, when they were honoured to be »Peer Company« in conformity with the ideology of Generalissimo Franco (the employees and the neighbours considered to be »a company for their whole live«), was the company [on 9 October 1985 declared to be insolvent] closed in the last years of the decade of 1980s; reason, among other more causes, was mismanagement. «

When I saw first time your spoon, I was wondering on his appearance. In my collection I’ve less then 5 item of Spanish origin. In Barcelona Museum they’ve only a few from »Modernismo« Period (Catalonian Art Nouveau). In the Applied Art Museum in Madrid are also shown only a few spoons, mainly from 19 century. In Albacete you could buy »Navajas« (knives) en mass. And what could you get in Toledo? I spoke there with a cigarillo smoking, and masculine dressed Lady, for to get there shown also something other as sword only. Yes, Greco lived there as well!

Let’s hope that we now getting more details from Barcelona.

Kind regards silverport

[silverport]

Hello again

I’ve found some more visual remains on » Metales y Platería Ribera S.A. «


Here there was their main entrance; some thing typical for Barcelona, on the corner of the streets “Carrer de Pallars”, Nr. 188 (left side) and “Carrer Lutxana” Nr. 72-80 (right side; now: “Carrer de Roc Boronat”) — rebuild in 1945-1949.


Here is their area in Barcelona San Martí’s “Poblenou” (Cátala; signify: New Village) indicated (with a blue dot)

http://www.descobrimsantmarti.org/wk/Ed ... Das_Ribera)

And from here they’ve start their success in “Carrer Lutxana” Nr. 66, called “Edifici del Relotge” — main entrance for their workmen. In 1945-1949 rebuilt as 3-floor storage, and on top of them, 2 floors of apartments for some of their workmen. The building, in Art Déco style, has got his name “Edifici del Relotge” for reason of in the façade integrated clock (Cátala: Relotge)

All these buildings are now included in a program of »Industrial Heritage of Barcelona« and underwent restorations:

http://www.22barcelona.com/documentacio/fitxes3.pdf

http://www.descobrimsantmarti.org/wk/Me ... ulleres%29

You could spend many month of to been there, without to have seen all of interest for a history addicted as I'm.

Kind regards silverport

P.S. You describe your item as a »little ladle« - then it would be maybe a gravy spoon, for right and left handlers as well.

[joho]

Thank you very much OVO and Silverport.

The history is fascinating - how one small spoon can lead to the research and interest in a whole company, and indeed a city (Barcalona).

I have had another look at the spoon, and it clearly has a hand beaten finish on the stem. The bowl is smooth.

Thanks for your efforts

John

[silverport]

Hello John

Let’s wait until we get an answer from Barcelona — but if, or when I couldn’t say yet.

In your question you’ve already said: » It is top quality with a hand beaten finish. «

Especially in the period between the two World Wars it was a time, people has liked signs of »be hand beaten«. Some like it until yet too.

I’ve studied in German archives documents of many silver ware companies; also e.g. minutes of their commercial’s meetings. During one of these meetings a representative said, that “the hammer marks are so fine; they should be coarse, to give more the appearance of to be hand beaten”.

In same period some company made special tools there fore, to strike once “hundred of beats”. Others haven’t trust in the »hand beaten style«; he would maybe be en vogue only a short time? Their solution was: After falling out of the machines, the items were strike manually. Dies have also a »break even point«.

Kind regards silverport