Is this an enamel Italian Fork?

[wiggy131]

Hi, I'm struggling to explain what this fork is decorated with, a crest a priests hat?
Also the maker mark or quality of silver mark at the base,
cant understand what I'm looking at,








Its a lovely item marked 800 silver as shown,
Thanks
Vickie

[amena]

The style does not seem Italian

[amena]

However the terminal represents the "corno ducale" which was the hat of the Doge of Venice.
Regards
Amena

[AG2012]

Hi,
It is obviously a souvenir lemon fork from Venice; Doge hat (as Amena has already noticed).
Made not later than the sixties, possibly much earlier. Italian jewelers produced souvenir items of superb quality at the time.
Compare with this hatpin.
Regards

[wiggy131]

Wow thank you so much for the help in solving the puzzle Amena and AG2012!
It was great to see another item in the same style of enamel on the hatpin!

I was looking at the mark on the fork again and it does look like the Padua mark, with the outside lozenge shape.
I looks like the same sort of era as the Norwegian silver smith Marius Hammer

I think this would date to around 1890-1900

Thanks for putting me on the right track with the lemon fork too!

Best Wishes
Vickie

[amena]

Hi Vickie
What do you mean by

does look like the Padua mark, with the outside lozenge shape

.
I can't make out anything in the photo you posted.
Can you describe what you see ?
Regards
Amena

[wiggy131]

http://www.silvercollection.it/VENICEHALLMARKS.html

If you can put that address into the browser, you'll see a shape of a carouche similar to the padua mark,
It is rounded at the top in the image and flat on the top on my fork!
I can see with my eye glass what looks like a tiny letter A, so could be the letter M, on the left of the mark and a person shape in the middle,
so small and rubbed, its very hard.

Thanks Amena

[AG2012]

With 800 Millesimal fineness, no town mark (used in distant past) is expected; more likely it is maker`s trade mark.
Regards

[wiggy131]

ok thats great, thanks AG2012