Essex Jewelry and Antiques

Great Set 6 Dutch 934 First Standard Silver 7" Fiddle Thread Forks w Neat Crest

$750.00

Presented is an exceptional quality set of 6 Dutch first standard silver dessert forks. These forks date to 1873/1874 and were made by Kempen & Zoon, a renowned Dutch maker that is still active today. The forks are a good size for luncheon or salad forks, but the three tines make me think they are likely dessert/pastry forks--of course, you can use them however you like. 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 fork 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 or all of it in some cases, but all other marks match and the forks are no doubt from the same time as the rest of the flatware set. It's worth noting that 934 is a higher purity than sterling, which is 925.

This set is in excellent overall condition. Some of the tines of the forks have a little bit of rounding to the tips, and occasional knife marks, commensurate with age and light use. There are no splits, no dents, no breaks, no monogram removals, and no repairs.

Each fork measures about 7 inches long.

The total weight for the set is 318 grams or 11.2 regular ounces. -jm