unknown mark - 930 silver tea strainer. Europe? US? Mexico? Japan?

[Ag999]

I've no idea about this one. Picked it up at a yard sale today. It tests as high grade silver, so the 930 sounds right. I'm guessing European, because of the 930, but beyond that ...?

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5.5" long x 4" diam. -- 64 grams

The abbreviated maker's mark is, maybe, GAO, or GAD, or AOG, etc. The AO (or AD) are inside a G, I think. (the "A" is flat-topped, like in Albert Durer's signature, so maybe northern Europe?)

The back is interesting, with the lumpy, molten cast look.

Above average Cupids, if you're into Cupids.

Any ideas?







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[legrandmogol]

Hi, probably Dutch or German (Hanau most likely), looks like later 20th-century rococo revival. Not sure who the maker is but also looks like made as an electrotype. Someone may recognize the makers mark and shed more specific information though.

[Ag999]

Thank you for that. Now I have some leads to investigate further.

Also, I'd never heard of electrotyping, but now that I have read about it, it does make sense that the "rococo revival" would use that technique for copying older styles. Plus, that accounts for the appearance of the bottom side of the strainer. (However, I think you must have meant to write "later 19th-century" rococo revival, not "20th" ??)

Now, to look for that hallmark.

[legrandmogol]

Hi again, I did mean 20th century, I lot of these kinda sloppy electrotype pieces started showing up in antique shows around the 1960's-1970's and the mark doesn't look too old but I could be wrong. Also only the underside is sloppy, the top is very nice and a lot better than a lot of the "fakes" I see. This is at least not pretending to be something it's not and would have been sold as "new in the old style". The only way to truly date it will be to find the maker so good luck with that.

[Ag999]

Thanks, again. Here's one, on this forum no less. viewtopic.php?t=23714

Also, I've now turned up several others online, with the cherubs, too, and many with the lumpy underside as well. And, I see that silver electrotyping (for the purpose of copying older styles) has been in use since around the 1840s.

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I don't doubt you about what they may have done later, but so far, at least, I've found none that claim (or admit) to be mid- or late-20th C. They all say 1880s to 1910s.

Still looking for that maker.

[legrandmogol]

I'm sure you'll figure it out, but when you do please let me know, I did a little searching with no luck.

[Ag999]

Sorry about my linking faux pas. It was only the photos I was interested in showing, of one of many others that are very similar to mine.

Here are the images. Identified as "German, 1900." Size and weight the same as mine.

[legrandmogol]

The more I think about it the more I think you may have come across a clue. The strainer that looks just like yours in the other posting has a Hanau mark for Storck & Sinsheimer which is believed to have been absorbed by Gebrüder Neumann in 1926. Perhaps this is a later hallmark of theirs? It does look like there is a G in the mark. Also I think a lot of the Hanau companies that managed to hang on after the 1920's changed their marks from full on Pseudo marks to more contemporary marks like the one on your strainer. This is speculation though based on some later Hanau pieces I have seen and owned.
Also notice how the underside of the new one you show at least tries to mimic repousse work, the bottom of yours is very crude and bumpy probably from years of using the same mold. On the plus side, your piece is probably heavier than the others

[Ag999]

Yes, you're right, mine doesn't even try to mimic the repousse work (from the underside).

Here's another one that doesn't, described as: "Dutch Cherubs Fused plate Rococo style Silver tea strainer, 1890." But they could be wrong.

[legrandmogol]

yes, no repousse attempt but they did smooth it out. On the back of your strainer, it doesn't look like they made any effort to make it look nice which is something I see a lot of in pieces from the later 20th century that are copying earlier works. I think there was a less discerning and knowledgeable clientele base that this piece was catering to and it also saved on costs

[Ag999]

Good points!

Thanks again for all of your help.