A rare Cape silver tablespoon by unknown maker M.I.V., with an exceptionally clear makers mark. The spoon is Fiddle pattern, in good condition but with wear to the tip from use, and no engraving. The makers mark M.I.V. is very well struck and clear, note the specific placing of the dots (first 2 higher than last). This is makers mark 178 in Cape Silver by Welz (page 158), where the specific placing of the dots is clearly illustrated. This mark is also recorded by Heller in Further Researches in Cape Silver Vol. 11, mark N.M.M 56, page 126, also with the unusually placed dots clearly illustrated. We have only seen one other example of Cape silver with this makers mark, a Cape silver sauce ladle that sold at Strauss in March 2011, Lot 146. Note - We have a second example of this spoon, with a slightly less clear makers mark, see S 11465.

A rare Cape silver table fork in the Fiddle and Shell pattern, examples are known to exist but these are regarded as rare. The fork is single struck (pattern only on the front), the shell is a lovely feature. A similar example is depicted the book "Further Researches in Cape Silver" by David Heller, page 68, plate 13, also made by Lawrence Twentyman. English versions of this pattern are also scarce, mostly made in Scotland and Newcastle, London versions are rare (Pickford, Silver Flatware, page 114). The hallmarks are clear, makers mark LT and 4 pseudo hallmarks (crowned leopard's head town mark, date letter a, duty mark and lion passant), this is mark 135 in Cape Silver by Welz. Note: We have 2 other examples of this fork, S 11435 and S 11437.

An extremely rare Cape silver table fork in the Fiddle Thread without Shoulders pattern, this is only the 2nd time we have seen this pattern, see 2 dessert spoons S 11120 and S 11121 which we have already sold. David Heller, in his book History of Cape Silver Vol. 1, depicts a spoon in the same pattern (plate 50, page 124) and a similar 3 tined fork (Plate 61, page 146), these are the only examples we can find in the literature. The fork is double struck (pattern on both sides), and has a single thread, but notably without the usual shoulder where the bowl joins the handle. The fork also has a long drop, with an unusual curve, showing this fork was hand made. The fork is lovely quality, a pleasing weight, and is in excellent condition. The hallmarks are excellent, a variant of mark 138 in Cape Silver by Welz, Castle, date letter C, and Georgian duty mark, with makers mark LT, all well struck. We have 2 matching forks, S 11433 and S 11434. A close examination of all 3 forks shows slight differences to the dro...

A very interesting American sterling silver Arts & Crafts ladle, made by W. Depp in the 1950's. The ladle is the traditonal shape, but has 2 bars that join in a loop for the handle, with the base of the handle wrapped in a thick silver wire, we love this design! The bowl has been shaped by hand with a pouring lip on the side, so well suited for gravy, cream or even a toddy (the shape and size is very similar to Scottish silver toddy ladles). The ladle is clearly hallmarked with makers mark W Depp in a triangle (looks like V V rather than W), alongside "Hand Wrought" and "Sterling". W Depp is a mystery to us, he (or she) did produce some modernist hand wrought sterling silver jewellery, we have not been able to find any other flatware by this maker, or information about them (all assistance welcome). Note 1 July 2024 - Thanks to assistance from Susan who has a very similar ladle, we have identified the silversmith as Wesley Depp (1922-2002), of Saranac Lake, New York. Wesley was the son of John Depp and start...

An 18th Century Dutch silver marrow scoop, in the traditional form, with a larger and smaller scoop on either side. The scoop has 5 hallmarks, Amsterdam town mark, Lion Rampant indicating 934 standard, date letter C partially struck (1787), and a partially struck makers mark, first letter H, second letter possibly H. A 5th hallmark which was struck later is also present, a small but clear Gothic T tax stamp. Note - An authority on Dutch silver has now kindly identified this maker as Hermanus Heuvel, we appreciate the assistance. Hermanus Heuvel worked between 1766 and 1810, he is mostly renowned for large scale silver objects but the Rijksmuseum has a miniature silver cupboard on display by Heuvel, (room 0.10 and on the website), this was also made in 1787.

A Chinese export silver tablefork in the Fiddle pattern, made by one of the most prolific Chinese Export silversmiths, Wongshing. The fork has engraved initials CE in Old English font (this is well done) on the back of the fork, so dating back to a period when forks were placed tines down on a table. The fork has very clear and detailed pseudo hallmarks, clearly struck by punches without wear, so this fork was probably made early in Wongshing's career. The marks include pseudo Georgian duty mark (note collar and long flowing hair), pseudo crowned leopards head townmark (nose and eyes visible, crown detail too), makers mark W and pseudo lion passant (round eyes and nose, fat rump). The punch outlines are clear as well, 2 are cambered (domed top), one loboid, and one rectangular (Poole, Identifying Antique British Silver, page 14). These are amongst the clearest Chinese Export silver hallmarks we have seen, and deserve further study. Wongshing is known as one of the most prolific Chines Export silversmiths, mak...

A Chinese Export silver butter knife in the Fiddle, Thread and Shell pattern, with no engraving or initials. The knife is extremely good quality, easily comparable to an English Georgian example. The hallmarks are excellent, and include pseudo duty mark, pseudo crowned leopards head (London town mark pre 1821), pseudo date letter P, pseudo lion passant and makers mark WE WE WC. This is an imitation of the makers mark for William Eley, William Fearn and William Chawner. The Chinese Export silver collectors guide (4th edition, pg 763-767) says this maker remains unidentified, but was responsible "for an astounding production of silver items, almost all in the European neo-classical style. The work of WE WE WC is par excellence, it can rival the best of English, European and American silversmiths of the Georgian era. There is no such thing as a poor piece of WE WE WC silver. To have the wherewithal to create silver that rivaled the finest European and American silversmiths of the Georgian era is a feat that, as ...

A Cape silver konfyt (preserve) fork in the Old English pattern, with 4 tines. The fork is good quality and is in excellent condition, with clear hallmarks. The fork has original owners engraved initials CB. The hallmarks consist of makers mark IC in between 2 castle devices (Welz mark 35, Cape Silver and Silversmiths). Johannes Combrink was born in the Cape in 1781, he married Aurelia Lotter in 1807 and died in 1853. He worked from Dorp Street.

A pair of sterling silver and jasper cufflinks, made by Kurt Jobst in Johannesburg circa 1950. The cufflinks are circular, with raised polished jasper insert, the sterling silver connectors are S shaped, and the connecting piece is square. Both the circular cufflinks and square connectors are clearly hallmarked, with JOBST, .925 and the circular cufflinks also have his characteristic KJ unicorn mark. Jasper is an opaque chalcedony, red in colour, it polishes well so is often used as a gemstone in jewellery. Jobst was born in Austria in 1905, he served his apprenticeship in Hanau, Germany, his influence was the Bauhaus movement. He emigrated with his family in 1936 from Austria to South Africa to escape Hitler, and became one of Johannesburg's leading silversmiths. He was commissioned by the South African Government to make the official wedding present for Queen Elizabeth in 1947 (a silver box with diamond necklace), he also made silver for Ernest Oppenheimer (cigar box, bowls and dishes). He died in a car cr...

A set of 4 Canadian silver teaspoons in the Fiddle pattern, made by John Ramage of Kingston, Ontario between 1851 and 1869. The spoons are quite large for teapoons, and a pleasing weight, around 18 grammes each. All 4 spoons have engraved original owners initials AW, in a beautiful flowing script, quite different to English engraving of the period, so distinctly Colonial. All 4 spoons are hallmarked with maker mark "J. Ramage" in rectangular punch, clear on one spoon, and some wear to the last few letters on the others. John Ramage Senior was a Scottish immigrant who arrived in Quebec in 1817 on the Prompt, he settled in Lanark County before moving to Edwardburg (source www.ramagefamilyhistory.com). Both John senior and his son (also John) were listed as "working silversmiths, jewellers, clockmakers and watchmakers" in Kingston, Ontario in 1857, at 63 Brock Street, before moving to Princess Street (source Langdon, Canadian Silversmiths 1700-1900, page 118).

A rare early Cape Silver three pronged fork, in the Hanoverian pattern. The fork is a lovely shape, long and elegant, with long tines. The fork has makers mark DHS, with some wear but clearly visible, along with a bunch of grapes with vine leaves in a circular punch (mark 109 in Cape Silver by Welz). This fork also has a small Dutch ZII hallmark, for 835 purity, indicating the spoon was imported into the Netherlands at some stage. The fork also has a small owners cross hatch scratch mark next to the makers mark. Three pronged forks were common in the early 18th century, they were gradually replaced by 4 prongs after 1760, perhaps a little later in the colonies, but we believe this dates to the early part of Schmidt's career. Schmidt arrived in the Cape from Strelitz, Germany, as a soldier in 1768. He worked as a sword cutler for the Dutch East India Company, and became a burgher and silversmith in 1779. He died in 1811 (Cape Silver by Welz, pg 139). He is described by David Heller (in his book History of Cape...

A rare early Cape Silver spoon, in the Hanoverian pattern. The spoon is a lovely shape, long and elegant. The spoon has makers mark DHS, with some wear but clearly visible, along with a bunch of grapes with vine leaves in a circular punch (mark 109 in Cape Silver by Welz). The spoon also has a small Dutch ZII hallmark, for 835 purity, indicating the spoon was imported into the Netherlands at some stage. The spoon also has a small owners cross hatch scratch mark next to the makers mark. Schmidt arrived in the Cape from Strelitz, Germany, as a soldier in 1768. He worked as a sword cutler for the Dutch East India Company, and became a burgher and silversmith in 1779. He died in 1811 (Cape Silver by Welz, pg 139). He is described by David Heller (in his book History of Cape Silver) as the "greatest Cape silversmith". Heller goes so far to describe Schmidt as a "master craftsman, whose work can be compared to Paul Storr" (History of Cape Silver, pg 79). Note - we have two matching forks, S 11124 and S11125.

A fabulous sterling silver basting spoon (gravy or serving spoon) in the popular Fiddle, Thread and Shell pattern, with engraved Marais Family coat of arms, which is very clear. The basting spoon is a substantial size and weight, the quality is excellent. The hallmarks are very clear, including makers mark D&J W, for Daniel & John Wellby, who worked between 1827 and 1974 from Garrick Street, London. The Marais family coat of arms is described as "Azure, a chain sable fesswise, in chief a crescent reversed and a base of two hills vert" - Pama, Heraldry of South African Families, page 53, depicted on Plate 18, no 280, of the Bell Krynauw Collection. It dates back to Charles Marais of the farm Plasir de Merle, who arrived in the Cape in 1688, and was "murdered by a Hottentot on the farm in 1689". Note - we have other matching items with the Marais Family armorial.

An extremely rare Cape silver dessert spoon in the Fiddle Thread without Shoulders pattern, to our knowledge Cape silver in this pattern is unknown, we have not encountered it before and cannot find an example in any of the known literature. The spoon is double struck (pattern on both sides), and has a single thread, but notably without the usual shoulder where the bowl joins the handle. The spoon also has a long drop, slightly different from it's matching partner, showing this spoon was hand made. The spoon is lovely quality, a pleasing weight, and in excellent condition. The hallmarks are excellent, a variant of mark 138 in Welz, Castle, date letter C, and Georgian duty mark, with makers mark LT, all well struck. We have a matching spoon, S 11120.

An extremely rare Cape silver dessert spoon in the Fiddle Thread without Shoulders pattern, to our knowledge Cape silver in this pattern is unknown, we have not encountered it before and cannot find an example in any of the known literature. The spoon is double struck (pattern on both sides), and has a single thread, but notably without the usual shoulder where the bowl joins the handle. The spoon also has a long drop, with an unusual curve, showing this spoon was hand made. The spoon is lovely quality, a pleasing weight, and in excellent condition. The hallmarks are excellent, a variant of mark 138 in Welz, Castle, date letter C, and Georgian duty mark, with makers mark LT, all well struck. We have a matching spoon, S 11122.

A Worshipful Company of Joiners and Ceilers antique silver spoon, with the Company armorial as a cast silver finial. The spoon is a good weight and quality, as expected from Elkington, it also has a rat-tail bowl. The cast finial has lovely detail, the back has a vacant shield cartouche intended for engraved initials. The company is one of the Livery companies of the city of London, ranked 41st in order of precedence, it was founded in 1375 and received Royal Charter in 1571. The company motto, "Join Loyalty & Liberty" was created by past Master John Wilkes in 1774, John Wilkes is remembered as the founder of "Freedom of the Press", his statue is in Fetter Lane. He was also Lord Mayor of London, his "I love liberty" slogan on silver spoon picture-backs are highly collectible. The armorial has 2 pairs of compasses over a globe, under 2 roses and a scallop shell, with a demi savage holding a spear, supported by 2 naked boys, one holding a female figure, the other a square - all this detail is clearly visible. T...

A rare solid silver version of the Voortrekker Aandenking (memorial) 1838 - 1938 bowl, in 835 grade silver. The circular bowl with foot is well modeled, with ox wagons on trek, with Boer (farmer) on horse, cattle in the foreground and mountains in the background, framed by trees. The other image is of the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria, and in between are two lit candles in a candlestick, surrounded by chains, with Zulu shields above and ox horns below. One candle reads "VOORTREKKER AANDENKING", the other "1838 - 1938". This design was done by the famous South African artist JH Pierneef (1886-1957), probably South Africa's greatest landscape artist. The hallmarks are clear, and include makers mark V over moon for Zilverfabriek Voorschoten, and 835 indicating the grade of silver (835/1000). Zilverfabriek Voorschoten is a brand name of Koninklijke Van Kempen & Begeer, founded in 1764 and still in existence today, they moved from Utrecht to Voorschoten in 1858. The Voortrekker Aandenking bowls were made in a v...

A rare early Cape Silver three pronged fork, in the Hanoverian pattern. The fork is a lovely shape, long and elegant, with long tines. The fork has makers mark DHS, with some wear but clearly visible, along with a bunch of grapes with vine leaves in a circular punch (mark 109 in Cape Silver by Welz). The fork also has a small owners cross hatch scratch mark next to the makers mark. Three pronged forks were common in the early 18th century, they were gradually replaced by 4 prongs after 1760, perhaps a little later in the colonies, but we believe this dates to the early part of Schmidt's career. Schmidt arrived in the Cape from Strelitz, Germany, as a soldier in 1768. He worked as a sword cutler for the Dutch East India Company, and became a burgher and silversmith in 1779. He died in 1811 (Cape Silver by Welz, pg 139). He is described by David Heller (in his book History of Cape Silver) as the "greatest Cape silversmith". Heller goes so far to describe Schmidt as a "master craftsman, whose work can be compare...

An interesting Swiss Silver preserve set, consisting of a matching fork and slotted spoon in their original box. They are 800 grade silver, and both the spoon bowl and fork (excluding handle) are gilded, to protect the silver from corrosive salt. The matching handles are a beaded pattern, with the pattern on the back different from the pattern on the front. The spoon has seven slots in an attractive pattern, the fork has 4 tines. Both items are clearly hallmarked with the Jezler makers mark and 800 standard mark. The original box has a retailers label, which reads "Otto Leuenberger, Uhren & Bijoutier, Langnau (Bern) - Brugg (Aargau)".

An Edwardian silver pocket stamp case, with a spring loaded interior for holding stamps in place. The case is rectangular, with an engine turned design with vacant circular cartouche for initials or family crest, and ring attachment for attachment to an Albert chain. The interior is gilded, the stamp compartment is also engine turned. The case, lid and stamp compartment are all hallmarked. Saunders & Shepherd are a well known firm, first established in 1869 by Cornelius Saunders and Frank Shepherd.