First, about the hallmark. I have inspected the piece thoroughly and have only found the single hallmark. The hallmark is a distinct Cyrillic capital letter A with a tiny star in the top left corner. I have checked for similar hallmarks across a number of sites and think that it is probably a Russian hallmark. My only other guess is that it is British, but that does not explain the lack of the additional markings such as metal purity or country of origin. If the piece was British then I might consider the star of what is called a Mullet.
Second, the use of the item. I originally thought the item maybe held a dinner dish of some sort, but later I checked the ability for the item to properly hold a standard wine bottle, and it's a perfect fit. The dimensions of the piece are length 12 inches x height 8 inches x width 4 inches.
Third, the composition of the material. As a jeweler I noticed that there was no actual corrosion to the piece. I also inspected it for any signs of plating or distinct smells and it has none. I have also checked underneath to remove the tarnish, revealing a lustrous original blacksmith's sterling finish and short of acid testing the piece I am positive it is sterling. A note about the photos, the yellowish glow is a secondary light that is reflecting.
Finally the background about this item. This is an estate sale find. I honestly don't know anything about the origins of the piece. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
This is my first time posting to this site, and appreciate any feedback about the post in general. Thanks.
