Burnell and Rowe

Description

This is an elegant Art Nouveau or Jugendstil Silver Plate Stamp Holder from the late 19th or early 20th century. It has the sinuous organic style that is so typical of Art Nouveau, which was called Jugendstil in Germany. The hinged lid lifts to reveal four stamp compartments and the body stands on four spread feet.

The stamp holder is marked A S for antiqued silver. This was a popular style during this turn of the century period whereby items were silver plated and then deliberately aged to make them look older and more antique.

The stamp holder was made in Germany by the famous firm W.M.F and dates to between 1886 and 1903. W.M.F (Wurttembergische Metallwarenfabrik) was founded in 1880 when Straub & Sohn of Geislingen merged with Ritter & Co of Esslingen. The company was quickly successful and by 1910 was the largest employer in Wurttemberg and had offices in London, Vienna and Warsaw. They were very associated with Art Nouveau / Jugendstil style in silver plate and pewter. In the late 1920s they launched Ikora, a revolutionary type of plating that gave an enhanced finish. The company is still going strong today.

Condition is very good, with no dings or dents and just the pre-antiqued finish that it had when originally made. The hinge is in good working order and the lid shuts smoothly. Please make sure to view all the photographs.

The stamp holder is 13.5cm / 5.3ins wide, 7.7cm / 3ins deep and stands 2.1cm / 0.83ins high. It weighs 204.5g / 7.2oz.

The underside of one foot is stamped WMFB, which shows that it is made by W.M.F, dates it to between 1886 and 1903 and is silver plate on Britannia Metal or Pewter. Next to this is the stamp A S for antiqued silver, showing that it was pre-aged before being sold.

Shipping in the UK is £6.00 by Royal Mail Tracked 24.
Overseas customers, please ask us about shipping costs to your country before making a purchase.