posted 11-04-2007 11:40 AM            

Hello!

The trigger for my interest in silverware was my family's inheritance of various - mostly Scandinavian - items as well as a Russian/Polish samovar. I simply had to know more about these items, their background and makers etc. I have learned a little bit about silverware by studying the internet. The internet is also the place where I got answers on some of my questions by searching the forums - not least this excellent one (thanks to especially blakstone and sazikov2000).

The silver samovar which is appearing on the photo was bought by one of my ancestors on a visit to Poland in about 1917 or 1920, probably in the Warsaw area in which he had relatives. The hallmarks on the second photo (here on one of the movable handles) has that the maker was Karol Filip Malcz, his trademark: the anchor, 'IC' (the assay master Josef Sosnkowski), '1869', '84' and a little mark I cannot decipher (a town mark?). These marks are engraved on every one of the six movable parts of the samovar.

As a novice re silverware I would like to ask the forum for help on answering some of the questions that turned up during my first 'investigation'.

1. Is '1869' the year the samovar was made?
   
2. If made in 1869, the samovar was made two years after Karol Malcz passed away (in 1867). How can this be explained? Is it certain that Malcz is the artist of this samovar?

3. Or was the samovar made by one of the artists in his successor August Teodor Werner�'s staff who continued to use the name and hallmark of Malcz?

4. I have 'traced' some of Malcz' works on the internet, but I have not found any hints of a silver samovar 'production'. Does anybody has any clue? Did Malcz/Werner make many samovars?

Thank you in advance for any help.

posted 11-04-2007 02:58 PM            

What are routinely referred to as "makers' marks" in many (most?) parts of the world often reflect someone other than the actual maker of the piece so-marked. It is becoming common on British silver to use the term "sponsor's mark" instead, for example, but I hate that term and personally prefer to revel in the ambiguity of "maker".

BTW, the marks are not engraved but stamped - using steel punches struck by hammer to stamp the mark into the silver. People tend to be pretty careful to distinguish this from engraving, where a design is cut into the silver with sharpened tools.

posted 11-04-2007 03:21 PM            

Looking at the piece, you show it as having been assembled from a number of parts. It appears to me that this piece was stamped or made in a mold. Posthumous items frequently indicate that the firm continued on or was drawing down parts already produced. Or that this was a copyrighted design, owned by his estate.

posted 11-05-2007 01:03 PM            

Yes, Malcz ran a retail store in Warsaw. According to Malcz' biography which was cited in this forum (sazikov2000's post of 01.10.2006) "..he opened his own workshop in 1928. He obtained numerous awards and developed his workshop into a large enterprise, employing up to 50 people, including professional artists. The majority of products, however, were designed, and many made personally, by him....In 1864 he gave control of the factory to his partner August Teodor Werner (1836-1902)."

Probably I will never get to know who was the true "maker" and I am not able to valuate a possibly similarity in style between this samovar and other products from Malcz. Besides, Malcz also developed/changed his style. We may conclude that Malcz theoretically could has designed the piece but almost certainly not had made it. Agree?

Dale,
Thank you for the comments to the samovar. I was not quite exact when I described the marks and the parts they are stamped on. The samovar has only six (movable) parts but seven sets of stamps (two set of stamps on the body/foot-part of the samovar; one on the foot and one of the upper part). Besides the two handles on the body which are movable - I don't think the building of this samovar differs from that of others re movable parts. That is: the body, lid with small handles, pot base and chimney.

No, there is no pot to the samovar.

blakstone,
seems your memory serves you well re trademark etc.. Please, see the citation in my comments to FWG. Thank you very much.

And, does anybody have a clue as to the little mark to the right of "84"?
Thanks again.