posted 10-01-2001 09:41 AM            

Next is a Scandinavian Sugar Tongs with a Rose design and very well Made. Any info as to Age Maker and pattern Name?? As always Thank you Stay Safe and Happy Hunting Roger

posted 10-01-2001 01:18 PM            

[see Brent's post for tong info...]

posted 10-01-2001 01:36 PM            

Sorry to disagree, but the tongs are Finnish, not Swedish. The single crown mark is for Finland, as opposed to the triple crown of Sweden. The town mark (between the 813H and the H6) is for Turku, Finland. 813H is the Finnish designation for 830 standard silver. In Finland, H6 would also be a date stamp, but for 1937. The mark furthest to the LEFT would likely be the maker's mark. If you can shoot a closeup of that, we might be able to identify it.

As for the other, you are both right on with the date and maker. The crest is certainly unusual. I was thinking that it might be a merchant ship-owner's private flag, as I agree that the image does look like a ship's firgurehead. I don't believe it is a military piece, but I bet there is some connection to the sea, however slight.

Brent

posted 10-02-2001 05:47 PM            

In fact, the banner is the standard of Ireland, which featured a winged harp like this one from the time of Henry VIII until at least the early 19th century. (The harp also once formed part of the Royal Arms of Great Britain.) Though made in London, your spoon probably belonged to an Irish regiment or government official. Remember that at that time, many government bodies and sites (castles, fortresses, military units, embassies) had their own elaborate silver services for use on official occasions, in officers' mess halls, etc.

What are the letters beneath the standard? These may offer some further clue about the spoon's original owners. I suspect it may be the initials for the name of a regiment.

It also crossed my mind that these might be the initials of an owner who happened to be a patriotic Irishman, but this seems doubtful. Especially at this early date, the display of the national standard would probably have been restricted to official uses, or at most perhaps a private patriotic club.

Congratulations on an intriguing find that you should have some fun researching. I think the engravings and crests on early silver are endlessly fascinating, and have rich stories to tell. I never understand why collectors seem less interested in these than in the hallmarks.

It's worthwhile remembering that not every figurative engraving on early English silver is a family crest. For instance, I have a set of 1820s-50s English flatware with the full-length figure of Apollo engraved on each handle. This was part of the clubhouse silver of the Apollo Lodge at Oxford University, a Masonic group of which Oscar Wilde and Cecil Rhodes were members in their undergraduate days. I never use those forks and spoons without imagining the dinner-table conversations they might have overheard ....