Posted 11 years ago
vetraio50
(751 items)
It was a normal Wednesday morning in Vinnies last week: a routine visit with not so great expectations on the way to see Dad. I’m used to seeing the same rubbish that clogs up the shelf space on display behind the counter where the two volunteers are chatting between clothing purchases. I drifted around the back section and was retracing my steps about to exit the shop when I saw this on a trunk with another piece of silver plate. So this is what I had come to find?
I interrupted the conversation at the desk: “It’s not one of those antique ones!”, the two of them looked scathingly at the basket, took my six dollars and asked me if I wanted it wrapped. I wished them a good day as I put it into the bubble wrap in my shoulder bag.
At the bus stop I pulled out the trusty, travel-everwhere loupe and went looking for a signature. There is none. No mark at all. I suspect the “someone upstairs in the sorting room” had not found one either. It is not in good nick, there is corrosion and over-zealous cleaning has revealed the copper base beneath. But the design fascinated me. Six dollars worth of pleasure in itself!
When I got home I cleaned it up a bit and found even more potential beneath the silver oxide. But no marks at all. No made in Germany, England ….. nothing.
A mystery item for CW!
Off to google and the first search I put in was: “art nouveau plated silver bread”. Bingo! First line in images gave me a reference to a 2006 auction at Christies with the same design on a plate. My basket has a foot and handle.
“AN ART NOUVEAU SILVER-PLATED BREAD TRAY AND A PEWTER CRUMB TRAY AND BRUSH”
No mark on these either! (or at least no mention of marks or manufacturers.)
So over to the CW crew for comments and suggestions.
Long: 14 ins or 35.6cm.
Wide: 7.87 ins or 20 cm
High: 4 ins or 7.5 cm
Many thanks czechman and MSL too!
Many thanks Dr FLUFFY!
Many thanks mikelv, Phil and petey too!
Many thanks Alfredo!
Many thanks to The Roper! How are things in Vàrna?
Wonderful secession ornaments, typical Art Nouveau style, congratulations!
Thanks for your kind comment, mate! Love the New Style!
What a lovely thing!! Love the face and detail - gorgeous!! Wonderful $6 find!
Many thanks Leah, nldionne and Justanovice too for kind comment!
STUNNING AND VERY VERY VERY BEAUTIFUL!!!
Many thanks SEAN, GargoYleCollector, lundY and sMiata too!
your very welcome Kevin!!!!
It is very, very nice! What a find.
Many thanks FLEDERMAUS!
Many thanks MANIKIN!
very WMF in style. Lovely, what a find!
Many thanks Deanteaks and BELLEépoque too!
many thanks TOM61375!
Many thanks sarahHoff and Ho2cultcha too!
Many thanks INKY!
Very nice find! I find it interesting (and possibly a clue) that the female faces are not rendered in the typical serene type Art Nouveau fashion. They almost have a Gothic quality in their face/expressions. Whenever there is a mix of styles/motifs in predominantly Art Nouveau pieces, I generally start thinking about England or the Americas. Maybe its even local?
Thanks for these comments cogito! I know what you mean about the expression on the faces. I had not thought of a local/Australian origin. The fact that the other plate was in the States may be an indicator of a US maker. I really thought there would have been a mark.
The Christies version is here:
http://www.christies.com/lotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=4849529
I wonder if there's any significance that at the bottom of the Christies page listing they have it classified in the "20th Century British Art" Department?
Yes, I noted that too!
The Peitschenhieb/Whiplash is down fairly pat .... but the mask is more a grotesque. You are right.
Really Special!! In one photo looks kind of like silver over copper?! Love this!!
Many thanks Don. I think it's copper as you say!
Many thanks LEAH! Hope everyone's well!
I think it's great I also have a thing for the Art Nouveau style, do you ever get to the markets in the western suburbs as when I lived there I often seen wonderful pieces but back then I was not into collecting as such then. Another good score I hope you & your partner are doing well.
Many thanks Zowie!
Many thanks TOM61375!
Many thanks NICOLEJERELEN and AMPHORAPOTTERY too!
Many thanks TRUNKMAN !
Many thanks AGRAM!
Love the story ..love the basket...
my friend had a plating shop before epa shut him down years ago ...i would work on his gear from time to time ..and he always said no matter what you plate with nickel ,silver or gold.. you have to start with copper plating as a base first on any kind of metal ..if that helps any ...lol
Many thanks ROYCROFTBOOKSFROMME1!
Thanks you for these comments.
I'm going to leave it as is.
At the moment its got some beaded glass fruits in it!
I wish I could help V but I don't know much about silver. I do know enough to have snapped it up for $6 though! Great piece. Looks like Christies didn't know too much either.
Great picture of you as well!
Many thanks AMBER!
Many thanks AMBER & BRATJDD too!
Many thanks BIGTEX!
Silverplate doesn't have a lot of appreciation among a lot of antique dealers. I am a HUGE FAN-- prices are usually cheap. I buy it whenever I can.
Thanks for sharing your beauty.
scott
Many thanks SCOTTV.
I totally agree.
Bullion or not the object is a piece if design.
Silver bullion value is minimal at any rate.
Many thanks AmandaA!
Many thanks theROPER!
Many thanks NORDICMAN!
Nice mystery! I am very ignorant, so please forgive my comments. Firstly, agree with you and Cogito that face is not typical Art Nouveau Belle Femme. To me 'she' looks a bit like an older Lewis Carroll, though I'm not suggesting that this is intended as a portrait of said author. Secondly, don't the Nouveau elements seem sortof 'floppy' or 'off'? Not that it's not attractive!, but that it's not that incisive whiplash and attenuation that one sees in the best Nouveau pieces. (No insult intended!) My comments offered in the spirit of a detective hunt. Thirdly, if it's English, shouldn't it be marked? I am very ignorant, but I thought that during the period in which this was likely made or imported that English silverplate goods were routinely marked. Is this assumption correct or incorrect? If so, it seems more likely, without other evidence, that this would be American. Fourthly, why is Christie's calling this a "bread basket"? Again, I am very ignorant, but in USA bread serving dishes of the period do not have handles - or usually do not. I think it could be called a basket in USA without handles, but think it more likely that it would have been called a "cake basket" it both England and USA with handle. Feedback on fourth point requested, please. Fifthly, what are Christie's grounds for classifying this - at least tentatively - as "British"? Did you ask, vetraio? Thanks!
P.s., Signing off for the night, but wanted to mention that this form of vessel is originally English, I think. Possible that it was the form of the vessel that prompted Christie's to place it in the "British" category.
Hi miKKo!
I never did ask them at Christies.
Love the Lewis Carroll reference.
Very dreamy!
Hi, Vetraio! I have to apologize! Sigh, I am so tactless sometimes!!! The point of my comments on 'floppy whiplash', non-Belle-Femmes, and lack of mark, was an attempt to provide a rudimentary and preliminary 'evidenciary complex' to suggest that this was perhaps of American rather than English origin. I took a brief look for this piece, and couldn't find it. Very attractive cake basket!...Happy New Year!!! : )
Thanks miKKo ....... deflated for a minute or so and then got on with it!
Happy New Year!
At the moment I cannot understand why all the old ones are coming back in, I have so many to get through, just slack.
Many thanks Zowie!
And you stay safe and cool!
I'm sure you know it's a pleasure. Been to many markets lately or are they closed still for the festive season
Went to the Wentworth Park Collectors monthly last Sunday. Pretty dull. Only bought one item that I put up a couple of days ago. Most of the markets don't really get started until the auction houses open again in mid January.
Its gorgeous Kev. I loved that Christies link
Many thanks ANNELANDERS 'n AIMATHENA too!
Many thanks TRUTHISANARROW !!!!!
This is beautiful vet! I didn't have time to look at all the posts so I don't know how great of a deal you got...yet! I can imagine you did real good tho if Christies had it!
Many thanks SHAREURPASSION!!!
Many thanks ARTDECOGIRL!!!!!
Many thanks HO2CULTCHA & DLPETERSEN !!!!!!
Many thanks MALKEY !.!!.!.!!.!