c1895 Charming European Sterling Silver Chased Caster / Shaker

Description

c1895 Charming European Sterling Silver Chased Caster / Shaker
Presented is a charming sterling silver caster or shaker. This piece dates to circa 1895 and is of continental European make, likely Hanau German, imported into London. The caster is beautifully hand chased with detailed scenes of women in typical 18th century garb, one holding a masquerade mask or opera glasses and one playing a tambourine. Surrounding the women are classical flower, foliate and scroll designs, in high relief and very ornate. The base is done in an elegant floral and scroll openwork design, with a little cartouche on two of the four feet. The lid has a notched bayonet style closure system, so that the lid stays on securely unless turned so the notches and tabs line up.
This piece is in great condition. The details of the chased designs are nice and crisp. There are no splits, no leaks, no dents, no monograms, no monogram removals, and no repairs.
The underside of the caster is stamped with Hanau German style maker's marks which we unfortunately don't recognize. The lip of the caster and the lip of the lid are both stamped with English import marks:  the lion passant for sterling silver, the leopard's head for the city of London, the date letter U for 1895, the import mark F for foreign, and the importer/retailer's mark for Berthold Muller.
The caster is about 5 3/4 inches tall.
The caster weighs 171 grams or 6.0 regular ounces.
-jm
Powered by SixBit's eCommerce Solution