Help with identifying European (?) mark from family in Czech

bohemianpasha · Post by **bohemianpasha** » Sat May 24, 2008 11:33 pm

Hi,

My grandmother recently passed away and my mother brought me this dish that was hers. My grandmother lived her entire life in Prague, Czech Republic (formerly Czechoslovakia).

I have tried to search, but cannot find anything. The marks are very very small, and very difficult to see. I have tried to take the best photos that I could. It's like a fruit dish, 10 inches in diameter with claw feet.

I really hope someone can point me in the right direction, I have many family items from my grandmother that I have to try and find information about. It's difficult, as I'm not that familiar (living in the U.S.) with European items.

Here is the link for the photos that I have posted to flickr.com

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14300001@N02/?saved=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Post by **2209patrick** » Sun May 25, 2008 8:17 am

Hello and welcome.

The LW mark looks to me to be the mark of Lutz and Weiss of Germany. Check here:
http://www.925-1000.com/Fgerman_marks_a1884_2.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Pat.

bohemianpasha · Post by **bohemianpasha** » Sun May 25, 2008 1:18 pm

Thank you so much. We noticed that mark, but all of the others threw me off. Is it common for makers to use more than 1 mark like that? This bowl has the "snake" looking thing, but then it also has 2 others that I can't make out due to aging and dirt in the creases. Would it be typical of this german company to use the LW mark, as well as other marks in combination?

1 of the marks looks like some kind of shield style, then the 800, then the LW *snake with arms* mark, and then another mark as well. Did the LW company use other marks in addition to their LW mark?

byron mac donald · Post by **byron mac donald** » Sun May 25, 2008 3:34 pm

Hi Bo-

On the page that Pat gave you the link to shows that the first mark is a cresent moon and crown, the second is for silver purity of .800-1000, third is the L.W for Lutz and Weiss, the fourth I have no Idea either. However I would guess a city mark...?

http://www.925-1000.com/Fgerman_marks_b1884.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Regards- Byron

Bahner · Post by **Bahner** » Sun May 25, 2008 4:32 pm

Hello, this is Lutz & WeiÃŸ and this combination of marks is typical of the company (though not typical of other German manufacturers). The marks are, from the left: half moon and crown, 800, L and W ligated, a rider on horseback. Sometimes (not very often) L&W used a lion passant instead of the rider. I believe that L&W tried to imitate the British way of marking silver objects. I believe that this kind of marking was abandoned by L&W some time after 1918. Best wishes, Bahner