Help with Mark on Sterling Pierced Bowl Bon Bon Scoop

[silvercrown]

This is a sterling silver bon bon scoop (or maybe tea strainer) with an ornate, pierced bowl. It measures 4 5/8" long. It has a mark that I have pictured below that I cannot find in any of my resource books. It looks like a little flower. The piece is marked "Sterling". Can anyone help identify the mark. Also, what do you think...bon bon scoop or tea strainer. Thanks as always!

Silvercrown

[admin]

Hi Silvercrown,
Rainwater illustrates a mark for the Howard Sterling Co. of Providence, that incorporates the clover mark.

They note that this trademark was in use from 1894 onward. Howard (the firm did make sterling patternware) was in business, in one form or another from 1878, so their marks from 1878 to 1893 are not known. As this style of rococco inspired asymmetrical patternware was popular in the late 1880's, I'll hazard a guess that it was made and marked by them with an earlier form of their 1894 trademark.
The firm was out of business by 1901, some, but not all, of their pattern dies went on to the Roger Williams Co. I suspect RWC would not have taken this one since it was no longer a fashionable style.
Regards, Tom

[dognose]

Howard Sterling Co. - 1899

Trev.