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 SMP Silver Salon Forums
 Continental / International Silver
 Some new Scandinavian spoon acquisitions...
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| Author | Topic: Some new Scandinavian spoon acquisitions... |
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dragonflywink Posts: 993 |
posted 11-23-2017 01:46 PM
  
Little time or funds these days to add to my collection, but picked up these three spoons recently (sorry for the awful pics, had to use my cell phone): This lovely enamel and gilt 4¾" mocha/demitasse spoon is by the Danish firm of Peter Hertz, they were appointed as Court Jewelers in 1876, and the shop still exists in Copenhagen. Years ago, bought a nice salt and spoon for my Mom, and have wanted a spoon in the same pattern because, well, it has a dragonfly. Marked 'P.HERTZ' and '924', along with the three-tower mark for 1893 and the Simon Groth assay-master mark - has been suggested that Hertz used '924' for lower taxation, and I do have another Hertz enamel spoon marked '924' that also bears proper British import marks indicating it is sterling.
Have long admired the work of Danish silversmith Erik Magnussen, including his designs for Gorham in the 1920s, which include the dramatic 'Cubic' coffee set, so was happy to find this interesting spoon. Engraved '1919' on the back, with a nicely done monogram on the front, it's a heavy 7¾" serving spoon, and it took me a couple of minutes to realize the lovely Skonvirke design on the handle spelled the name of the Danish town of 'FANØ', so apparently a souvenir piece... Gorham 'Cubic' coffee set, designed by Magnussen: Gorham falcon coupe, designed by Magnussen: ~Cheryl [This message has been edited by dragonflywink (edited 11-24-2017).] IP: Logged |
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dragonflywink Posts: 993 |
posted 11-23-2017 01:47 PM
Have long been fascinated by the spoons used by the Sami, indigenous people of the northern regions of Finland, Norway and Sweden - originally carved from reindeer horn or occasionally birch wood, often decorated with small rings, they were usually carried in a pouch that also held tobacco, and silver versions were created based on the traditional designs. Keep hoping to run across an old piece that might fit my budget, but no luck so far - have had many of the fairly common 20th century demitasse or teaspoon size over the years, and still keep one in my collection. This piece was made in .813 silver by Helsinki, Finland based firm Hopeatakomo Oy in 1938 - I was struck by the modern look and the bright enamel (unusual on Sami inspired pieces), at 4⅜", not including the rings, it's much smaller than actual Sami spoons. Reindeer horn, 19th century, the second dated to 1880: Reindeer horn, dated to 1885 and 1889, respectively: 18th century silver, by Bergen, Norway silversmith Hans Blytt (1711-59): Illustration from 'Lapland Life' (1878): ~Cheryl [This message has been edited by dragonflywink (edited 11-24-2017).] IP: Logged |
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Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 |
posted 11-23-2017 04:23 PM
Oh my! Thanks so much for sharing. You have yourself some treasures! IP: Logged |
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dragonflywink Posts: 993 |
posted 12-05-2017 08:46 PM
Always keep an eye out for a piece by Trondheim, Norway maker Henrik Møller that might fit my budget, with no luck over the years - the fabulous dragon drinking horn posted in this thread is my fantasy: The Most Beautiful Piece of Silver in the World Definitely couldn't resist this wonderful 5" .830 silver Dragestil souvenir spoon, in 'Møller' fashion by Trondheim maker Josef Smejda, b.1870-d.1934 (shop closed in 1937). Trained as a chaser in Prague and Vienna, he worked for both Møller and David Andersen, and for a time in Paris before opening his shop in Trondheim in 1899, he advertising himself as jeweler, chaser and goldsmith, and became quite successful, catering to the tourist trade. The bowl of this spoon features one of the masks after the sculptures found on the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim that appear in other Smejda pieces, sometimes as elements of jewelry, etc., sometimes applied to holloware (the detailed 'front' is on the back of the bowl, suspect it may be King Solomon), the finial is an interesting triple-face mask - believe these are cast, with chased and engraved detailing, and the 'NORGE' and decoration on the stem is engraved. ~Cheryl [This message has been edited by dragonflywink (edited 12-05-2017).] IP: Logged |
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Polly Posts: 1970 |
posted 12-06-2017 11:09 PM
These are wonderful, Cheryl! IP: Logged |
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dragonflywink Posts: 993 |
posted 01-19-2018 09:57 AM
Found the identity of the gentleman in the Smejda spoon bowl - taken from a circa 1200 bust of Kind Sverre Sigurdsson at St. Olav's Shrine in the Nidaros Cathedral: Christmas money brought a few new spoons, including this Norwegian Dragestil spoon by Bergen maker Marius Hammer, a very heavy 5" piece, it has a dragon engraved in the bowl, with the cast handle topped by a cheerful little grotesque character sticking out his tongue. This 4⅜" long 1871 Danish mocha/demitasse spoon has some interesting marks - by Copenhagen maker Vilhelm Christesen, it was designed by sculptor Christian Carl Peters, pieces bearing the angel mark were sold in a lottery for artwork, silver, furniture, etc., with the proceeds used to fund the restoration of Frederiksborg Castle after an 1859 fire. Suspect the face is supposed to be King Christian IV, who in his later years wore similar bangs... The Frederiksborg Lottery mark, Peters' 'CP' design mark, assay mark of Simon Groth, 'V.CHRISTESEN' maker's mark, and 1871 Copenhagen 3-tower mark: Paper stamp and punch used on the lottery items: ~Cheryl [This message has been edited by dragonflywink (edited 01-19-2018).] IP: Logged |
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Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 |
posted 01-19-2018 10:09 AM
Your research is always so great! Thanks so much for sharing. IP: Logged |
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dragonflywink Posts: 993 |
posted 01-19-2018 03:20 PM
Thanks, Scott. The research is a good part of the pleasure in collecting... Believe this 4⅜" Norwegian demitasse spoon, made by Drammen based Hans Christian Østrem, is a souvenir of the Columbian Exposition. The bowl shows a rendition of the 'Viking', a replica of the ancient 'Gokstad Ship' that sailed from Christiania (Oslo) to Chicago for the fair, the design inspired by an image in the book, "Viking" Across the Atlantic (1893); at the top of the twisted branch stem is a 'stabbur', a traditional farm storage house. ~Cheryl [This message has been edited by dragonflywink (edited 01-19-2018).] IP: Logged |
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dragonflywink Posts: 993 |
posted 01-23-2018 04:04 PM
Not a new piece, but one given to me some time back by a friend, and much cherished - an elegantly simple 7½" long variant on typical Norwegian ball & twist spoons, with a lobed finial and wriggle-work engraving along the twist, 13⅓ lod {833/1000) silver by Niels Crispinus Bakke of Bergen, he apprenticed 1843-49, joined the guild 1863, and died 1891. More typical spoon by the same maker at the Norsk Folkemuseum: ~Cheryl IP: Logged |
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agleopar Posts: 850 |
posted 01-23-2018 07:35 PM
Cheryl, I love the mash up of a tea spoon bowl, soft shoulders and a twist handle! Also the wiggle work on the thin edge of the twist. All makes me want to start making spoon mash ups...hmmm - double swell handle with rat tail? Tea spoon bowl, sharp shoulders and slip top?? Suggestions welcome! Keep an eye out for strange spoons in the flea market soon! IP: Logged |
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June Martin Forum Master Posts: 1326 |
posted 01-24-2018 11:27 AM
Thanks for pointing out the wiggle work. I was so focused on the maker's mark that I totally overlooked that lovely detail. [This message has been edited by June Martin (edited 01-24-2018).] IP: Logged |
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dragonflywink Posts: 993 |
posted 03-03-2018 12:47 PM
Some new twisty spoons - first an 1891 souvenir spoon, 4⅜" long, from Stockholm based C.G. Hallberg, filigree work covering the ball, with the delicate twisted filigree wire extended down along the twist stem, simple engraving of Sweden's greater coat of arms in the bowl. From the V&A collections, a late 18th-early 19th century Swedish ball button similar to the finial: This is a 5½" long late 19th-early 20th century plique-à-jour spoon by Oslo (Kristiania) maker Jacob Tostrup, love the shape of the bowl and the colors of the enamel: 1908 advertisement mentioning "Work in transparent Enamel": ~Cheryl IP: Logged |
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dragonflywink Posts: 993 |
posted 03-03-2018 12:48 PM
Have seen this pattern in Danish silver of varying sizes, made by different manufacturers, dating from the mid 19th century to the early 20th, but these big boys (11¼" long, 2⅜" wide on the first, 11½" and 2¾" on the second) are an interesting example of differing quality in manufacture. They were purchased together and though worn, the monograms appear to be the same, haven't determined the maker on the first, assayed in 1873, but the second, from 1872 was produced by prominent maker Peter Hertz, with its superior quality apparent in the finishing and much greater weight, 115 grams compared to 65 grams on the other piece. Apparently the lighter weight spoon didn't hold up as well at all, with a not unattractive old 'patch' repair where the bowl meets the stem... ~Cheryl IP: Logged |
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ahwt Posts: 2334 |
posted 03-14-2018 09:21 AM
That is a very attractive repair and must have been accomplished by a good silversmith. IP: Logged |
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dragonflywink Posts: 993 |
posted 05-01-2018 04:55 PM
Late 19th-early 20th century Norwegian enamel work was known for its quality, and David-Andersen produced a large amount of exceptionally fine enamel pieces, especially while Bohemian designer Gustav Gaudernack was there from 1892-1910 (from 1894 as chief designer), winning International attention for designs like the gorgeous 1908 plique-à-jour 'Libelleskålen' (Dragonfly Bowl), now at the National Museum in Oslo.
These are three much, much more modest David-Andersen enamel pieces, ranging from 4⅜" to 4⅞", all are sterling, bearing the late 19th-early 20th century 'hammer & tongs' maker's mark. The first, in a 'Russian style', is engraved 'Roma' in the bowl; the second has hand-painted pink and blue flowers with gold leaves and butterfly on a rich blue background; and the third is plique-à-jour with a fairly common finial, but an unusual Dragestil bowl showing a polka-dotted serpent with a man in his mouth (perhaps Jörmungandr and Thor?) ~Cheryl [This message has been edited by dragonflywink (edited 05-01-2018).] IP: Logged |
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Polly Posts: 1970 |
posted 05-01-2018 10:35 PM
<plans trip to Oslo to see that in person> IP: Logged |
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June Martin Forum Master Posts: 1326 |
posted 05-02-2018 07:20 AM
Wow, those are beautiful and amazing! IP: Logged |
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dragonflywink Posts: 993 |
posted 05-05-2018 09:37 PM
Thanks, June! And Polly, I'll go with you... This is a late 19th-early 20th century traditional Norwegian looped handle sugar spoon with champlevé and plique-à-jour enamel work, marked only '900', but feel it can be comfortably attributed to Marius Hammer since the same design is found with his marks and in the same fineness. Have had quite a few of these over the years and still have three or four packed away somewhere - was told more than once that they were a common wedding gift, often given with a sentimentalong the lines of, "The path of love may be twisted, but the end is sweet." ~Cheryl
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