Russian Teaspoon?

[Christiane]

Hello,

this is another Item, where i am not sure about the provenience. The assay mark look like the mark of Lev Oleks but it is not the citymark of moscow in my opinion. Markers mark is not readable for me. Maybe the marks are a fake? Thank you very much for kind help! Christiane

[Qrt.S]

It is a Russian teaspoon assayed by Lev Oleks in Moscow 1890, but the master ???? Try a bigger closeup of the maker's mark. Moscow's city mark is St George slaying the dragon. This looks fine.

[Christiane]

Thanks a lot for the quick answer and greetings to Helsinki! Here is a Photo of the makers mark. Unforunately it is not a very clear mark. Christiane

[Christiane]

Hello, when I click on my photos, they enlarge immediatly - sorry for this fault. I will try again. Christiane

[Qrt.S]

Yes, I realized that later but still I cannot figure out what the initials are.

[Qrt.S]

Here is my best guess i. e. ИЯ, in Latin IYa. That would be Ivan Kuzmitsh Yashin, but I'm not sure at all, the mark is indeed unclear.

[Christiane]

That fits well to the other marks and to the rudimental makers mark in my opinion. Thanks again a lot for the well-informed answers.

[Zolotnik]

Hi -

it is as already stated Jaschin I. K., a wellknown larger Moscow firm 1884-1897, known for their spoons.

Regards
Zolotnik

[Child]

It may be "НЯ" too.

[Zolotnik]

Hi Child -

Before you answer - think!
In Moscow existed no HЯ!

Regards
Zolotnik

[Child]

Nobody know even 50% of silver- and goldsmithers, which ... Even in Moskow and SPb. In "Postnikova" and "Ivanov" you can find less then 1/4 ever existing makers marks. It is not England - it is Russia.

[Qrt.S]

Your statement is picked from the sky, dear Child. However, it is true that all Russian silversmiths are not known by name even if their marks are known. There are some nameless masters indeed, but that is the case in every country even in UK. But that Ivanov and Postnikova would cover only 1/4 and the rest 3/4 is in darkness is pure nonsense.

[Child]

In "Postnikova" and "Ivanov" you can find less then 1/4 ever existing makers marks. Makers marks, not masters.

[Child]

For exampl, PL gives 20 Odessa masters. But there was more then 100 masters. It was the bigest city in Russia after SPb and Moskow.

[Zolotnik]

Please mind your spelling a little....

Do you know the difference between maker´s mark and master?

Would you be so kind and name your top secret source(s) - nowbody exept you know them.

Please stop to state something you can not proof - otherwise nobody will take you serious....

Regards
Zolotnik

[Qrt.S]

Dear child, a silversmith is usually a master appointed by the guild and who has got a maker's mark and it is spelled maker's mark not makers mark (apprentice->journeyman->master).

Yes, I would also be interested in knowing on what source you refer to dear Child, please name it. However, it has, anyway, no meaning whether there was 100 or 1000 or 10000 goldsmiths (=masters)in Odessa or anywhere if their marks are not known. It simple means that they didn't make anything or no objects (or marks) are known. Therefore the number of masters is more or less worthless.
Please also note that there is a minor difference in a nameless mark compared to an unknown mark. The first one means that you have a mark but no name and the latter one usually that you neither have a mark nor a name or that you have a name but the mark is unknown. Sometimes "unknown mark" is misused in the meaning that you have a mark but the master/maker is unknown.
English is some times a difficult language when it is not your native tongue.

[Child]

[quote=...English is some times a difficult language when it is not your native tongue.[/quote]...

[Qrt.S]

OK Child, point taken. But the source thank you. You forgot to mention it.
By the way, English is neither my native tongue, but I try hard.