Essex Jewelry and Antiques
5 Dutch 934 Silver Fiddle Thread Soup Place Dessert Spoons w Neat Crest 1873
Regular price
$748.00
Presented is an exceptional quality set of 5 Dutch first standard silver oval soup, dessert, or place spoons. These spoons date to 1873/1874 and were made by Kempen & Zoon, a renowned Dutch maker that is still active today. The spoons are a full continental dinner size, which is hard to find today. The pattern is a classic Fiddle Thread design, with a gentle upturn to the ends of the handles.
On the reverse, in the European style, is a crest. The crest is separately cast and applied rather than simply engraved, a sure sign of quality and superb craftsmanship. Good resources on Dutch heraldry are hard to come by, but the presence of a fairly ornate coronet and the care in rendering the tinctures of the coat of arms (blue, gold, and red in this case) combined with the use of first standard silver suggests nobility of some sort. Please note, we have additional groups of flatware from the same original set, with the same crest, maker, pattern, etc.
Each spoon is stamped with Dutch hallmarks: the lion rampant for first standard silver, 934 purity; the Minerva head duty stamp; a date letter of either O for 1873 or P for 1874; and a maker's mark for Fa. J.M. van Kempen & Zoon. The applied crest is covering part of the date letter, but it is still recognizable, particularly when compared to the examples on other pieces in the same flatware set. It's worth noting that 934 is a higher purity than sterling, which is 925.
This set is in excellent condition. There are no splits, no dents, no breaks, no monogram removals, and no repairs.
Each spoon measures about 7 1/8 inches long. The total weight for the set is 288 grams or 10.2 regular ounces. -jm
On the reverse, in the European style, is a crest. The crest is separately cast and applied rather than simply engraved, a sure sign of quality and superb craftsmanship. Good resources on Dutch heraldry are hard to come by, but the presence of a fairly ornate coronet and the care in rendering the tinctures of the coat of arms (blue, gold, and red in this case) combined with the use of first standard silver suggests nobility of some sort. Please note, we have additional groups of flatware from the same original set, with the same crest, maker, pattern, etc.
Each spoon is stamped with Dutch hallmarks: the lion rampant for first standard silver, 934 purity; the Minerva head duty stamp; a date letter of either O for 1873 or P for 1874; and a maker's mark for Fa. J.M. van Kempen & Zoon. The applied crest is covering part of the date letter, but it is still recognizable, particularly when compared to the examples on other pieces in the same flatware set. It's worth noting that 934 is a higher purity than sterling, which is 925.
This set is in excellent condition. There are no splits, no dents, no breaks, no monogram removals, and no repairs.
Each spoon measures about 7 1/8 inches long. The total weight for the set is 288 grams or 10.2 regular ounces. -jm