Wakely and Wheeler piece

[gg11311]

I found this bowl at an estate and traced the mark to the Wakely & Wheeler company. It appears to have the proper markings of a Sterling Silver piece so I hope I have posted this int the right place. I was hoping someone on the board could tell me more about the piece. Can it be confirmed as solid silver or is it silver plated? It has the words “London” “Parsifal” and “Juni 1911” engraved under each of the lion/serpent handles. The letter “Z” is stamped on the bottom above “89284 NRC AIN” which appears to be engraved in hand. From what I could find Parsifal was a Richard Wagner opera performed in Bayreuth Germany from 1883-1914. It does not seem that the opera was performed in London until 1914 so I don’t know why that would be engraved with a 1911. The piece measures 11.5 inches in diameter, 6 inches tall and weighs 72 ounces (4 lbs 8.8oz).







Here is a link to some more pictures: http://s1260.photobucket.com/user/gg113 ... ler%20Bowl



Thank you in advance for your help.

[silvermakersmarks]

It's sterling, not plated, with a London hallmark and the date letter "p" for 1910.

Phil

[agphile]

Stage performances of Parsifal were not allowed in London until 1914, when copyright expired 30 years after Wagner's death. However, his family sometimes allowed concert performances in the earlier years. Maybe 1911 saw such an occasion in London.

[gg11311]

Thank you so much for that information... does anyone have any idea what type of bowl it is or why it would be associated with the Opera?

[agphile]

The bowl itself seems intended for display rather than to be functional. The decorative features of snakes and lions might just reflect the taste of the period but I could risk suggesting that they were thought somehow evocative of the Holy Grail which features in the opera. Who are we to say whether the original was a goblet or a bowl? The three quasi handles might hint at a rather shallow loving cup.

The spelling of Juni rather than June in the inscription suggests it was intended for a German speaker but the lack of an exact date within the month gives me second thoughts about my earlier suggestion of a concert performance of the opera. Perhaps a course or conference about the opera? Or some “Arthurian” event (Parsival = Sir Percival)? I think it would take research rather than guesswork to get any closer - but there is always the possibility that Parsival does not refer directly to the opera and represents some sort of nickname or pun that cannot now be unravelled.

The numbers and lettering on the base of the bowl will be later additions, probably for something like inventory purposes, so I don’t think they will help unravel the significance of the main inscription