Featured Siver gurus...Is it...can it possibly be.....????

Im trying VERY hard to not get excited ! Went to lunch with a friend and stopped at a hoodwill on the way home. As Im cruising thru I spot a pile of silver and decided to root thru it though this particular one never lets so much as a teaspoon slide. Sticking out of some Oneida sugar bowl and wrapped in so much plastic I couldnt really see it clearly but it intrigued. I pay the $3,get in the car and pull THIS out. I swear I started shaking ! I took 100 pics before I could get those tiny marks.Its 7 1/2 inches long,the bowl is 2 1/2x2 1/2. I see an 88 and AA in the rectangle,with something in the middle ( I see an eagle?) and an A in the one next to it.Let me know what you all think,then I might do a happy dance !

 

Hit enter too soon...

 

Wait for Cheryl

 

She better get here soon. I can't stand the suspense!

Debora

 

Dammit, Johnny! Why can't I find stuff like this at Goodwill (come on, we're both in Florida) - and for $3.00?!? Russian plique-à-jour, not at home, on my phone and can't help with the marks (lot going on, so short on time anyway), but it looks absolutely right and I'd have been shaking too!!!

~Cheryl

 

Ok I was about to post that Cheryl will probably make a fool of me but that looks Russian and I'm glad to see she agrees!

I thought it looked like Russian work/mark and yeah looks like the St. George mark for Moscow. AA maybe for Artsybashev?

It's BEAUTIFUL work. What a fantastic find!

Edit: Also looks like the cartouche is the Export shape they used in the late 1800s, but I'm definitely not the expert here--just excited for you!

 

Un--f***ing--believable. A $3.00 thrift shop find.

Debora

 

Nice find Johnny, and this fellow Floridan never finds anything!

 

Congrats Johnny!!

 

OMG ! I have ALWAYS wanted a piece of Russian pre-revolution silver ! Im dying !!!! The best part is yall are so excited for me ! Thank you ! I still cant believe it !

 

YAYYYYYY!!! And it's such a GOOD one!

 

I'm wondering whether that V looking mark on the right is for Kiev.

https://www.silvercollection.it/dictionarykokoshnik.html

 

I think the "A" is the maker's mark, if the hallmark on the left already indicates Moscow.

 

A? I'm afraid my ancient eyes can't see what is inside the rectangle

 

OH! Are you seeing the V upside down and therefore an A?

 

Lots of similarities....the tip of the handle,where the bowl meets the handle ,and mines prettier ! https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/...0039/lot-7b29fdb0-b71c-4d48-a7f0-a8cb008c5c8d

 

Im dying !!!!

 

Woo hoo @johnnycb09
You rock!!!

 

My eyes aren't the best either, but I do have photoshop so I cheat lol. Here's the marks right side up, a bit bigger, plus the St. George mark from 925-1000.com. So I see A (makers mark), Import (or Export?) cartouche with "88 (silver content) St. George (Moscow) AA (Assayer)".

Yours is definitely better because it is plique-à-jour which is a prettier and a tougher skill than champleve imo. At least, I have to think making un-backed glass panels must be difficult!

 

Oh, if it's Artsybashev as master assayer then that means it was made 1888-98 according to 923-1000, which really zeros in that date! I dream of such precise info on my pieces...