Has anyone seen this shape before?

[Dee]

Hi! I just purchased this item at an estate sale. It was purchased in Sweden in 1971, and was represented as being from the 1860s. The mark reads

I triangle N S

and the maker is A.Malmstrom & Co. I thought it was odd that the mark was in plain view on the top of the leg.Has anyone seens this shape for a tea strainer? Is anyone familiar with the manufacturer? Thank you!

[Matulda]

I can't tell you anything about the maker. There isn't much litterature on silver plate, and it's almost always impossible to identify a maker if they didn't make silver items as well. But I can tell you that you have what we in Sweden call a "tea spinder" (tespindel). Even if it only has three legs, it's easy to see why they are called that. A common model of tea strainer, at least in this country.