Art Nouveau Silver Plate Swan Decanter WMF
About the Item
- Creator:
- Dimensions:Height: 14 in (35.56 cm)Width: 5.3 in (13.47 cm)Depth: 7.5 in (19.05 cm)
- Style:Art Nouveau (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1895
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Newark, GB
- Reference Number:
WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
The fine brass, copper and silver metalware produced by distinguished manufacturer Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik (WMF) has adorned the tabletops of restaurants, hotels and homes around the world. WMF is especially prized by collectors for its Art Nouveau works of the late 19th century and Art Deco pieces manufactured throughout the early 20th century.
WMF traces its beginnings to 1880 when the merger of Straub & Sohn and Ritter & Co. formed the public limited company Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik. The company initially focused on tableware and decorative pieces, such as vases and planters. In 1892, WMF introduced its patented “perfect hard silver plating,” a technology that distributes twice as much silver to the sections of cutlery that experience the most wear, allowing the whole piece to hold its luster longer than other silver-plated products.
In 1905, WMF acquired a majority holding of Orivit AG, a company in Cologne that manufactured products from a tin alloy, further expanding its range of materials. By 1910, its main facility in Geislingen, Germany, employed 4,000 workers. It had branches in Vienna, Warsaw and London, and printed a catalog in 12 languages.
As a German business, WMF experienced extensive asset loss in the aftermath of the world wars. However, by 1950, its main facility once again had a workforce of more than 3,000 employees, and its high-quality products returned to popularity. There was an increase in demand for its Cromargan cutlery as well as work by WMF’s preeminent lighting designer, Wilhelm Wagenfeld.
By the 1960s, WMF’s main facility had 5,800 employees. More factories were opened to keep up with demand. WMF is now one of the largest manufacturers of metalware in the world and continues to produce pieces of superb quality. The company has over 200 branches in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and owns branches in 40 other countries.
On 1stDibs, explore serveware, decorative objects, lighting and more from Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik (WMF).
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Newark, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- WMF Roller Skating Cigarette CaseBy WMF Württembergische MetallwarenfabrikLocated in Newark, EnglandRare Roller Skating Cigarette Case The Cigarette Case of slim rectangular form plated in Silver features a central front scene with three male figures r...Category
Early 20th Century German Art Nouveau Sheffield and Silverplate
MaterialsMetal, Silver Plate
- Art Nouveau Gradient Perfume BottleLocated in Newark, EnglandFitted with the original Glass Stopper The bottle of large sized with tapered base and top with a gradient Green hand cut glass body, silver hinged lid and original glass stopper. T...Category
Early 20th Century Central American Art Nouveau Glass
MaterialsSilver, Sterling Silver
- English Silver Engraved Decanter Widdowson & VealeBy Alexander MacRaeLocated in Newark, EnglandThe Decanter of slim tapered form with bulbous body, splayed circular foot with pinched stem and shaped opening. The Decanter extensively decorated throughout the body with two large fern leaves stemming from a central tied ribbon in the form of a bow. The decanter features a rounded handle fitted to the upper half of the decanter with a hinged shaped lid opening with gravity. To the base of the decanter an engraving reading “Jesse Collings. from I. Chamberlain.” Hallmarked to the neck AM (Alexander Macrae), Lion passant (sterling silver), Leopard Head town mark for London, Date letter R (1872) and the sovereign head duty mark. The Decanter is complete with its original latched fitted box lined in purple velvet with gold stringing to the exterior and the retailers mark to the inside doors “Widdowson & Veale, Goldsmith & Jewellery, to the Court of Spain, 73 Strand London.” Widdowson & Veale George Widdowson (b. 1804 Lincoln – Died 1872 Dulwich Village) was a celebrated silversmith and goldsmith although he took the route of retailer rather than a craftsman and by the age of 28 he had taken over his uncle’s London shop on the Strand, London. His uncle John Salter had been a close friend of Lord Nelson’s daughter, Horatia, and was godfather to one of her children. The shop was very successful and John Salter had supplied Nelson with many pieces of jewellery, including mourning rings. Widdowson developed the shop into Widdowson & Veale located at No. 73 Strand on the corner of Adam Street and opposite the Adelphi. Widdowson had a real eye for marketing. He once had a detailed newspaper article dedicated to his proposal to make a copy of Aeneas’ shield, as described in Virgil’s Aeneid. There is no evidence the shield was ever made though it did get good publicity. The company made swords and other weapons for the British army and navy, orders and decorations for the British court and were goldsmiths and jewellers to the court of Spain. In 1842 on the christening of Queen Victoria’s eldest son (later King Edward VII), Widdowson’s eye for publicity meant that the firm gave a christening gift of ‘an immense silver coronet supporting the Prince of Wales feathers.’ Widdowson & Veale were also makers to HRH the Duke of Sussex and the Court of Spain. In 1844, George was 40 and his business was doing well, as was the economy as a whole. The firm were able to advertise for apprentices, asking for a premium of £100. On 11 February 1847 George married Eliza Duffield (nee Boville), the daughter of a Putney wine merchant who had been living in Gibraltar but returned when her first husband, John Duffield, died. George and Eliza were middle-aged when they married and did not have children. Alexander Macrae founder of the firm that went on to be C J Vander Ltd. Macrae was recorded at 32 Bow Street, Covent Garden, London September 1856. He was joined in partnership by Martin Goldstein c. 1870, whereupon the style of the firm was changed to Macrae & Goldstein – first listed in 1871 as a silversmith. Alexander Macrae supplied many of the great firms at that time such as Elkington, Harry Emanuel...Category
Antique Late 19th Century British Late Victorian Pitchers
MaterialsSilver, Sterling Silver
- Silver Plate Lidded Tankard Elkington & Co. 'Attributed'By Elkington & Co.Located in Newark, EnglandFine Elkington & Co. (Attributed) silver plated lidded tankard. The tankard of typical shape with hinged lid, slightly tapered body with u-shaped handle. The tankard profusely decorated with repousse type silver plated relief...Category
Antique 19th Century British Rococo Sheffield and Silverplate
MaterialsMetal, Silver Plate
- Silver and Enamel Cigarette Case ViennaLocated in Newark, EnglandHallmarked From our Silver collection, we are delighted to offer this Art Nouveau Silver and Enamel Cigarette Case from Vienna, Austria. The Silver and Enamel Cigarette Case of stunning Art Nouveau design with a central enamel scene depicting the legend of St. Hubert, Patron Saint of hunters with the divine deer. The scene features St. Hubert in the foreground dressed much like the later Robin Hood with feathered cap carrying a cross bow. In the background the divine deer stands on a river bank with long antlers portraying a crucifix between them amongst foliage and trees. The Scene flanked by Art Nouveau design upon a Silver case with push button thumb tab. The interior of the Cigarette Case is finished in silver-gilt with an inscription to the left hand side reading Mr et Mdme. Dr Groedel Hietzing 20/VII 1900. (20/07/1900). The Silver and Enamel Cigarette Case is hallmarked twice on the thumb tab, once below the ‘1900’ and twice on the right hand side of the inner case. The last hallmarks feature an illegible makers mark however it is clear that the hallmarks show the hexagonal Dianakopf (Diana’s head) mark showing the silver is .900 fineness and dated to between 1872-1922 inline with the inscription date of 1900. Dianakopf (Diana’s Head) was first used in 1867 the cartouche shape and number within indicate the silver fineness. Beginning in 1872, a letter was added to indicate city of assay. The hallmark comes in varied shapes depending on the year and fineness. Hietzing is the 13th municipal District of Vienna. It is located west of the central districts, west of Meidling. Hietzing is a heavily populated urban area with many residential buildings but also contains large areas of the Vienna Woods, along with Schönbrunn Palace. St. Hubert The legend of St. Hubert holds that on a Good Friday morning, while the faithful were in church, Hubert was hunting in the forest. As he pursued a magnificent stag or hart, the animal turned and Hubert was astounded to see a crucifix floating between its antlers. He heard a voice saying: “Hubert unless thou turnest to the Lord and leadest a holy life, thou shalt quickly go down into Hell.” Hubert dismounted and prostrated himself, and after asking “Lord, what wouldst thou have me do?” is told, “Go and seek Lambert, and he will instruct you.” The story of the stag first appears in one of the later legendary hagiographies (Bibliotheca hagiographic Latina, nos. 3994–4002) and has been appropriated from the legend of Saint Eustace...Category
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Sterling Silver
MaterialsSilver, Enamel
- German Silver Gilt Minaudière Louis KuppenheimBy Louis KuppenheimLocated in Newark, EnglandThe minaudière of rectangular form with curved corners features a repousse monkey which humorously goes through the case with the front side of the monkey on the cover and the rear side of the monkey on the back. The exterior of the case is gilded Silver with cabochon Sapphires and a top carry loop. To the left of the top a second loop contains the original pencil which pulls out for taking notes upon the ivorine notepad within. The interior of the case features several compartments which open via the Sapphire tabs, the left side contains two smaller compartments while the right side features a bevel edged mirror with an ivorine notepad to the reverse and a spring loaded tab to the compartment. The case is hallmarked in several locations with the London ‘omega’ import mark (1906-1998), the import Silversmiths mark Gresham Barber & Co and is dated 1907. Although the minaudière does not bear the original makers hallmark we firmly attribute the case to Louis Kuppenheim a renowned German Silversmith who made designs matching this minaudière. Louis Kuppenheim (1824-1889)was founded in 1854 together with Heinrich Witzemann they were located in Pforzheim, southwestern Germany and is known as the gateway to the Black Forest. In 1857 Kuppenheim moved forward as a solo business without his partner and moved to Durlacher Straße 1, Old Town street in Pforzheim. Upon the death of Louis Kuppenheim in 1889 3 of his 6 children (Albert, Hugo and Moritz) took over running the company and in 1900 at the Universal Exhibition in Paris the firm won a gold medal for a paper knife. In the same year the company opened the first store in the Rue de Richelieu 67 in Paris. In the 1900s Hans Christiansen designed some silver parts and pieces of jewellery, which were made by the Manufacture Kuppenheim. Christiansen was an important Art Nouveau painter and a member of the Darmstadt artists’ colony. In 1906 Albert, Hugo and Moritz convert the inherited jewellery factory into a modern gold and silverware fabrication and one year later relocated to 69 Durocher Street. Over the next 30 years the company expanded their business with mechanical workshops for gold and silver along with more machinery along with the death of Albert Kuppenheim and Ludwig (another son of Louis) taking over the company. After the war broke out in 1939 the company went into liquidation ending its 82 year history. During the heyday of the company over 200 people were employed by Louis Kuppenheim making it one of the most important employers in the jewellery city of Pforzheim. In the more than eighty years of production some 100,000 pieces left the company. Kuppenheim made many items in small series, for example boxes and minaudières (women’s fashion accessory, generally considered a jewellery piece, intended to substitute for an evening bag. A case with compartments, it allows storage for several items in a small space, such as a makeup compact, lipstick, watch, reading glasses, or keys) and compacts and cigarette cases...Category
Antique Early 1900s German Art Nouveau Sterling Silver
MaterialsGold Plate, Silver
- WMF, Germany Art Deco Silver Plate Cocktail ShakerBy WMF Württembergische MetallwarenfabrikLocated in Atlanta, GAThis fabulous Art Deco silver plate cylindrical cocktail or Martini shaker was crafted by silversmith WMF, Germany, in the 1920s. The three-sectioned cocktail shaker has a removable ...Category
Vintage 1920s German Art Deco Barware
MaterialsMetal, Silver Plate
- Art Nouveau WMF Brass Punch Bowl, Germany, 1900By WMF Württembergische MetallwarenfabrikLocated in Saarbruecken, DEAntique brass bowl with original glass insert, a decorative piece from the Art Nouveau period Elegant design made of solid brass with two large hand...Category
Antique Early 1900s German Art Nouveau Barware
MaterialsBrass
- Art Deco WMF Silver-Plated and Glass Cocktail ShakerBy WMF Württembergische MetallwarenfabrikLocated in Waddinxveen, ZHThis chic bar accessory is made by the renowned manufacturer WMF. The shaker is in a very good condition. The shaker has a removable cap and strainer. It is marked underside the cap ...Category
Vintage 1950s German Art Deco Sheffield and Silverplate
MaterialsSilver Plate
- WMF Art Nouveau Cut Glass and Silverplate Liqueur Set C.1900By WMF Württembergische MetallwarenfabrikLocated in Toronto, OntarioWMF Art Nouveau cut glass and silver plate Liqueur Set C.1900. The silver plate set with liqueur jug and four glasses in holders, each with stylized art nouveau design engraved cryst...Category
Antique Early 1900s Art Nouveau Barware
MaterialsSilver Plate
- Jugendstil Set of Silver Tantalus and Three Glass Decanters with Stoppers by WMFBy WMF Württembergische MetallwarenfabrikLocated in North Miami, FLJugendstil/Art Nouveau Set of Silver Tantalus and Three Glass Decanters with Stoppers by german company Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik (WMF) By: W...Category
Antique Late 19th Century German Jugendstil Barware
MaterialsCrystal, Metal, Silver Plate, Silver
- WMF Art Nouveau PlateBy WMF Württembergische MetallwarenfabrikLocated in Vienna, ATWMF Art Nouveau plate silver plated brass Germany about 1900-1910Category
Antique Early 1900s German Art Nouveau Platters and Serveware
MaterialsSilver Plate, Brass