Rare Remarkable 1900 Hanau Silver Mother-of-Pearl Box by B. Neresheimer & Sohne For Sale

OUTSTANDING CA 1900 HANDCRAFTED GERMAN SILVER & NACRE BOXI've enjoyed privileges of owingthis remarkable silver and mother-of-pearl gem. Time has come for an appreciative new collector / guardian.Needless to say, the box qualifies as a rarity. Stellar condition (as a 120 year old small fragile object of utility) further elevates desirability.

Hanau (Germany) pseudo hallmarks conclusively identify the maker as B. Neresheimer & Sohne; a highly regarded company founded in 1890. The Pushkin Antiques site provides a concise history of the firm.

Noteworthy Characteristics:

• At the top of the list I'd place (vesica piscis) shape, absence of (silver) decoration and nacre panels forming top and bottom. None of these relate to Neresheimer's "standard production" hollowware, invariably elaborately decorated and based on "antique" models.

• The robust self-stopping hinge, thin "lip" extending from top and bottom (facilitating opening the box even in darkness) and precisely aligned cover closing with a snap are hallmarks of a master silversmith. As is the size - smaller the box the more skill required to craft.

• WOW surprise is only visible from the interior of the box. A finely incised naive scene portraying a pagoda and hut in double ring reserve flanked by leafy vines within a wide border on triangles. The other side of the iridescent mop panel is attractively decorated with a border of "punched" circles enclosing triangles and a field of diamonds and stars.

0.9" high, 1.9" wide, 0.8" deep at hinge
24.2 grams

PUSHKIN ANTIQUES

Neresheimer & Sohne is undoubtedly the most famous of the Hanausilversmiths working at the end of the 19th century.

At the end of the 19th century in fact, the city of Hanau, not far fromFrankfurt in Germany, became famous for its silver industry tradition: Hanaumanufacturers specialised in fine copies from the antique, in the most popularhistorical styles, generally marked with pseudo-hallmarks in the manner theywere trying to imitate. Unlike the traditional hallmarks, pseudo hallmarks arenot officially registered and the only way to identify Hanau artworks is bycomparison with marked pieces.

The company was founded in 1890 by August and Ludwig Neresheimer. Thanks tothe incredible quality of its objects, of the precision and care used to makeextraordinary copies from the antique the brand rose to a quick popularity andbecame soon direct competitor of Schleissner, considered the forefather of theHanau silver.

CONSCIENTIOUSLY PACKED AND SHIPPED WORLDWIDE