A collection of German made novelty silver models.

Circa:1890 - 1910
Origin:Germany
Condition:Excellent

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A collection of German made novelty silver models made in Hanau between 1890 and 1910.
A collection of German made novelty silver models made in Hanau between 1890 and 1910.  A large amount of this silver output was based on existing models dating from the 16th and17th centuries and found in various European museums and private collections.  The vast array of pieces produced in Hanau was mainly decorative, but items like wager cups and cow creamers also had practical uses.  Items such as the musicians were created around sea shells and embellished with “jewels” giving an exotic feel while showing the talents of the silversmith.      The demand for these figures coupled with their amazing workmanship meant that many were exported into England.  Before being allowed to be sold as Sterling silver they had to be assayed and the English Import marks (foreign origin marks) were added.  This was denoted by the letter “F” found alongside the usual set of British hallmarks. The Sponsor, who was the person who submitted these works for assay would also have added his mark.  This system has allowed us to date these pieces and understand and recognise the pseudo marks found on these pieces.  Pseudo marks were added to the piece to emulate the original marks that would have been stamped onto the piece.  Also known as “Fantasy marks” these were not exact copies of the original marks, which would have been able to be copied exactly, but marks that looked similar but were never seen or recorded as originals.  This practice arose due to the desire of the silversmith wanting to be as faithful to the original as possible but not wanting to be dishonest by creating a forgery. Today these pieces are most sort after and due to the variety produced, enable one to build an intriguing collection.To see individual pieces and prices, please see our catalogue.