Italian Neoclassical Silver Tea Set with Fantastic Creature Spout
A three piece neoclassical Italian .800 silver tea service, second half 20th century, variously marked, the harlequin set comprising a teapot, creamer and covered sugar basin, the ovoid pot with a fantastic creature spout and sugar basin with twin creature flying handles, all of elegant plain pedestal form with stiff leaf borders to rims and shoulders, hallmarked underside to all, silver weight 943gr height 7.48 in., and smaller
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- Hallmarks - A mark stamped on articles of precious metals in Britain, since the 14th century, certifying their purity. It derives its name from the Guild Hall of the Goldsmiths' Company, who recieved its Charter in 1327 giving it the power to assay (test the purity) and mark articles of gold and silver.
The hallmark will consist of several marks, including the:
- silver standard mark, indicating the purity of the metal. Sterling silver is .925 pure silver.
- the city mark indicating the city in which it was assayed eg London, Birmingham, York etc.
- the date mark, usually a letter of the alphabet in a particular font and case,
- a duty mark, indicating whether duty had been paid to the crown, and only in use from 1784 to 1890
The piece may include an additional mark, the maker's mark, although not forming part of the hallmark, will be located in the vicinity of the hallmarks.
Sometimes silver plated items will bear faux hallmarks, often confusing those not familiar with silver markings. - Harlequin Set - A harlequin set is a collection of items that are similar in style or design but feature different variations in colour, construction or pattern. The term "harlequin" comes from the traditional costume worn by a character in Italian commedia dell'arte, which is made up of different coloured patches.
For example with furniture, a harlequin set may refer to a group of chairs, typically dining chairs, where a number of the chairs are identical in design but one or more of the chairs may have a difference in the design of the leg or back. Harlequin sets can be found in silver flatware, porcelain dinner settings and glassware settings. - Oviform /ovoid - The outline loosely resembling the shape of an egg.
This item has been included into following indexes:
- silver, country of manufacture - Italian 194
- tea sets/services
