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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Signature markings on old stool-table
« on: September 19, 2016, 02:47:07 am »
I see Ashurst in the second line.
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Antique Questions Forum / Re: A trunk full of Tortoise shell (advice plus help with hallmark)
« on: September 15, 2016, 05:34:57 am »I have been following your thread with great interest. Congratulations on your findThanks debc !( Just a snoopy newbie )
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Antique Questions Forum / Re: A trunk full of Tortoise shell (advice plus help with hallmark)
« on: September 14, 2016, 05:31:00 pm »She asked if it is flat or curved?
It is completely flat and approximately 21cm (8 and 5/16 inches) long.
Ive found examples online of pointed busks, rounded busks, flat-edged busks, and pieces that combine these shapes.
Btw... what an amazing comb and photo!! So wonderful to have such an heirloom! And the resemblance to the one your great-great grandmother wore is uncanny!
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Antique Questions Forum / Re: A trunk full of Tortoise shell (advice plus help with hallmark)
« on: September 14, 2016, 05:55:11 am »Oh and by the way, I believe that long oblong piece is a busk. This would be quite early I think 1840s or so, when flat front corsets were most in fashion. The busk slips into an elongated pocket on the front of the corset and creates a flat look instead of a curve from bust to waist. I have only seen these made out of wood, bone or ivory. Never tortoiseshell and I think you may have something very special there. See Figure 10 on this page: http://cool.conservation-us.org/jaic/articles/jaic32-03-001.html
Just found this.... tortoise and whale bone busks! I think you might be right on the money!
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Antique Questions Forum / Re: A trunk full of Tortoise shell (advice plus help with hallmark)
« on: September 14, 2016, 05:40:07 am »
Thank you talesofthesevenseas, I would LOVE to see your tortoise comb! Can you post a picture?
Yes we were quite excited... not for any potential fiscal rewards; rather, in saving something special from a very uncertain future.... at least now they can be preserved and appreciated!
I have never heard of a busk! Thats VERY interesting! I might just have to research that a bit more! Even our expert was puzzled saying it was too large to be a letter opener, and too pointy to be a page turner.
Thank you so much for chiming in with your insights!
Yes we were quite excited... not for any potential fiscal rewards; rather, in saving something special from a very uncertain future.... at least now they can be preserved and appreciated!
I have never heard of a busk! Thats VERY interesting! I might just have to research that a bit more! Even our expert was puzzled saying it was too large to be a letter opener, and too pointy to be a page turner.
Thank you so much for chiming in with your insights!
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Antique Questions Forum / Re: A trunk full of Tortoise shell (advice plus help with hallmark)
« on: September 12, 2016, 09:02:37 am »
The vanity set was faux tortoise, just as I had imagined. (Brushes and mirror). Those were the only pieces that smelled pine-y with the hot needle test. All the remaining pieces tested positive for tortoise shell, with needle testing, comparison testing and examination under a loupe, Mart. 👍
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Antique Questions Forum / Re: A trunk full of Tortoise shell (advice plus help with hallmark)
« on: September 12, 2016, 07:19:01 am »
Update on the tortoise.
Our dealer was rather enthusiastic, testing and confirming each piece is genuine. The "hero" pieces in her eyes are the neckchain and the cloak clasp. She believes the hallmark to be ca. 1840s (young Victoria head), but this is yet to be confirmed. Her valuation included retail prices on individual items and were very good. She mentioned one or two pieces might have been galapagus tortoise (also unconfirmed). All in all its a tidy and valuable collection.
If anyone here has any further info on shapes, origins, identification etc, please feel free to chime in.
Our dealer was rather enthusiastic, testing and confirming each piece is genuine. The "hero" pieces in her eyes are the neckchain and the cloak clasp. She believes the hallmark to be ca. 1840s (young Victoria head), but this is yet to be confirmed. Her valuation included retail prices on individual items and were very good. She mentioned one or two pieces might have been galapagus tortoise (also unconfirmed). All in all its a tidy and valuable collection.
If anyone here has any further info on shapes, origins, identification etc, please feel free to chime in.
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Antique Questions Forum / Re: A trunk full of Tortoise shell (advice plus help with hallmark)
« on: September 06, 2016, 04:37:06 am »
For sure, Mart 😉
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Antique Questions Forum / Re: A trunk full of Tortoise shell (advice plus help with hallmark)
« on: September 05, 2016, 06:18:55 pm »
Oh KC thats a horror story, isnt it?! Ive done similar things with other objects, only to later find and appreciate their aesthetic and monetary value!
I think your idea of researching the pieces is a good idea. Perhaps an expert can give some insights as to age or origin. I reached out to a dealer with photos who is known to us and she got rather excited and said there are some highly collectable pieces (she didnt say which), and mentioned some possibly using a rarer tortoise shell. We have made an appointmentforher to look over the collection next monday.
Thank you for the celluloid/lucite link. All very helpful. 😊
I think your idea of researching the pieces is a good idea. Perhaps an expert can give some insights as to age or origin. I reached out to a dealer with photos who is known to us and she got rather excited and said there are some highly collectable pieces (she didnt say which), and mentioned some possibly using a rarer tortoise shell. We have made an appointmentforher to look over the collection next monday.
Thank you for the celluloid/lucite link. All very helpful. 😊
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Antique Questions Forum / Re: A trunk full of Tortoise shell (advice plus help with hallmark)
« on: September 04, 2016, 09:28:17 pm »
That which later became the 'swastika' was first used in buddhist culture for centuries. The nazi's adopted a lot of symbolism from history and inverted or adapted it to give a converse meaning. The runic symbol Sowelu was another used by the Secret Service.
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Antique Questions Forum / Re: A trunk full of Tortoise shell (advice plus help with hallmark)
« on: September 04, 2016, 09:24:00 pm »
Thank you KC. So according to the first link, the duty marks were made up until April 1890, so it predates that. I havent done a thorough search, but the birmingham letter mark "O" appears in a circle in 1888. Unless I find anything to the contrary, Im guessing that may be the one. It certainly fits within the reign of Victoria.
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Antique Questions Forum / Re: A trunk full of Tortoise shell (advice plus help with hallmark)
« on: September 04, 2016, 05:59:07 pm »
Here is the case it was all found in. The vanity set we strongly suspect is bakelite or faux tortoiseshell. These are just too many dissimilarities between it and all the other pieces.
As for the pieces shot in the individual photos above, we havent the faintest idea as to value. Id imagine they would need to be professionally seen (some have flakes, chips and so on), but we are wary of being groomed into parting with something that we are not so certain of (thats not to say dealers are shady, rather, that we are perhaps too green). 😉
As for the pieces shot in the individual photos above, we havent the faintest idea as to value. Id imagine they would need to be professionally seen (some have flakes, chips and so on), but we are wary of being groomed into parting with something that we are not so certain of (thats not to say dealers are shady, rather, that we are perhaps too green). 😉
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Antique Questions Forum / Re: A trunk full of Tortoise shell (advice plus help with hallmark)
« on: September 04, 2016, 05:45:32 pm »
More detailed pics.
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Antique Questions Forum / Re: A trunk full of Tortoise shell (advice plus help with hallmark)
« on: September 04, 2016, 05:43:48 pm »
Thank you KC and Mart!
No, Mart, I've no intention of vanishing, now I'm here I love to share info about this growing hobby!
The links provided are wonderful resources, and in fact I had stumbled upon those in my research. The Monarchs head stamp seen in the link KC provided is quite clear, but the "o" inside a circle, I think denotes 1885. I'd love confirmation of this, as I'm not at all familiar with dating silver.
The hot pin testing was as a result of the link you provided Mart, and yes in an invisible part of the pieces. I think they were quite conclusive. We have cleaned and lightly oiled the pieces as the article recommends.
The case was purchased in a good will store, not inherited. My wife was attracted to the hair combs, which she has always admired. She and I are quite intuitive when looking at antiques, but we had no idea what we had stumbled upon. Here are more photos.
No, Mart, I've no intention of vanishing, now I'm here I love to share info about this growing hobby!
The links provided are wonderful resources, and in fact I had stumbled upon those in my research. The Monarchs head stamp seen in the link KC provided is quite clear, but the "o" inside a circle, I think denotes 1885. I'd love confirmation of this, as I'm not at all familiar with dating silver.
The hot pin testing was as a result of the link you provided Mart, and yes in an invisible part of the pieces. I think they were quite conclusive. We have cleaned and lightly oiled the pieces as the article recommends.
The case was purchased in a good will store, not inherited. My wife was attracted to the hair combs, which she has always admired. She and I are quite intuitive when looking at antiques, but we had no idea what we had stumbled upon. Here are more photos.
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Antique Questions Forum / A trunk full of Tortoise shell (advice plus help with hallmark)
« on: September 04, 2016, 08:50:32 am »
Hi everyone, this is my first post reaching out for help/advice here!
Today my wife and I stumbled upon a very old case full of what we thought at the time was faux tortoise shell. I really don't know much at all about it, but there was so much of it, we figured it was surely non-authentic. Upon closer inspection, when we got it home, we discovered one of the pieces - a belt buckle or dress clip - had a metal clasp which under decades of patina, revealed these hallmarks below, when cleaned with a silver cloth. We have been doing a rudimentary search around the internet and are struggling to date it. Our closest shot would be 1885 (?)
We are quite taken by it, and many of the other objects in the case. As yet we have been unable to find any other examples of a similar clasp online.
If anyone can advise how to test for authenticity, we would be very keen to hear. One piece in the box looked clearly molded to me. When performing a hot needle test, it smelled very fragrant (like pine) and omitted a thick white smoke. Other pieces we tested did not smoke, and smelled strongly of burnt hair.
Any advice anyone may be able to offer would be greatly appreciated.
Today my wife and I stumbled upon a very old case full of what we thought at the time was faux tortoise shell. I really don't know much at all about it, but there was so much of it, we figured it was surely non-authentic. Upon closer inspection, when we got it home, we discovered one of the pieces - a belt buckle or dress clip - had a metal clasp which under decades of patina, revealed these hallmarks below, when cleaned with a silver cloth. We have been doing a rudimentary search around the internet and are struggling to date it. Our closest shot would be 1885 (?)
We are quite taken by it, and many of the other objects in the case. As yet we have been unable to find any other examples of a similar clasp online.
If anyone can advise how to test for authenticity, we would be very keen to hear. One piece in the box looked clearly molded to me. When performing a hot needle test, it smelled very fragrant (like pine) and omitted a thick white smoke. Other pieces we tested did not smoke, and smelled strongly of burnt hair.
Any advice anyone may be able to offer would be greatly appreciated.
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