Interesting marks on very old silver tureen (?)

[aazul3]

Hi all!

My father has an old tureen (?) looking thing he found in a village (60 km North from Warsaw) in Poland when he was young (this was about 40 years ago). Apparently the local villagers were using it as a dog bowl! They told him they had unearthed it accidentally whilst farming (and let him have it).

It would seem to be 18th century (?) and, from my guesses, either Polish, German or, perhaps, Swedish? The three marks would appear to be an N (with a swirl), a weird looking face (?), and 'GBV' in a heart.

It is a very massive, heavy dish - 2-3kg. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[aazul3]

Oh, silly me, I forgot to add this pic! A crown with 'MW' under it.

[dognose]

Hi,

Great piece.

The maker was Gottlieb Benjamin Vogtmann of Warsaw, who was thought to be working from 1784 until 1810.

Trev.

[silverfan]

I think it is Breslau. Vogtmann was a Breslau silversmith.
Regards silverfan

[aazul3]

Thank you Trev! Any ideas as to what grade of silver would have been used in making this? 800? Also, what function do you think this would have served? (I wonder who it belonged to - W.M.) I am guessing that there would have been some handles on the sides?

Thank you once again!

[silverfan]

In Breslau the silver content at that time (year letter N = around 1810) was probably 12 Lot that means 750/1000 pure silver.
A crown with 9 pearls is a count's coronet. To find the count you have to look into the nobility records.
Regards silverfan

[aazul3]

Thank you silverfan! Yes, I found a website with Polish/German heraldry and the 9 pointed crown stands for (as you said) "hrabia" - count. I found a similar monogram with W.M. (but not M.W.): http://www.konskie.org.pl/2012/05/modli ... stawa.html

I will probably have to contact a Polish association dealing with nobility to find out who this belonged to.

Thank you once again!