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Author	Topic: finding a maker
middletom Posts: 467 Registered: May 2004	posted 12-18-2016 04:25 PM Hello, all; This is a difficult request, and it may be too obscure to find an answer. I am in the process of repairing an old silver bowl on a pedestal. The maker's stamps are on the underside of the base and someone in the past tried to destroy the stamps with a knife or chisel. Almost nothing is readable but the last four letters of the stamp appear as though they might be BELL. But, that is only a guess. The capital letter shapes allow for what I take as a B could be another E or what I take to be E's could be other L's. As you can see, I am guessing in the dark and there may not be enough that I've included that could give anyone an even remote idea of what the stamps could really be. Any guesses would be welcome. I have no way of getting a picture that I know of but will give it a try. Geoff Blake IP: Logged
Kimo Posts: 1627 Registered: Mar 2003	posted 12-19-2016 11:29 AM Nothing comes to mind right away, but hopefully someone will have some possibilities. Photos of both the overall bowl and of what is left of the markings would be helpful. Do you have a sense as to this bowl's approximate age? That might help. Also, do you have a sense of the country in which it might have been made? Does the style of the design suggest anything? The only thought I have with so little to go on and there being little reason to deliberately destroy maker's/retailer's marks on any silver is that sometimes marks are obliterated when someone determines them to be spurious. Bad people sometimes add spurious marks to silver to increase its commercial sale value. Perhaps that is not the case here though. IP: Logged
middletom Posts: 467 Registered: May 2004	posted 01-06-2017 09:29 PM Kimo, The holidays intruded a bit so I am only now answering you. All the marks are obliterated so it wasn't for the purpose of increasing value. The bowl sits on a square pedestal base with a foot at each corner. The stem going up to the bowl tapers inward then flares out as it reaches the bowl. The bowl itself has flowers chased into its sides and the rim of the bowl is broad and flares out level with the top of the bowl. The flared portion is also covered with raised flowers. My guess on age might be early twentieth century but I am no expert in such matters. Now with more time I will try to get pictures. The question then will be whether I can load them onto the computer. Geoff Blake IP: Logged
middletom Posts: 467 Registered: May 2004	posted 01-09-2017 06:06 PM Well, I have sent of the repairs to the owner so I won't get a picture of the stamps. I doubted I'd be able to get pictures posted so it is just as well. Maybe the owner of the items will pursue the identity of the marks. I just don't understand why someone would go to such lengths to eradicate stamps. Geoff Blake IP: Logged

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