Silver Napkin Ring - AH

[Il_brillante]

Hi guys

I would like to receive your personal opinions about this Silver Napkin Ring posted here http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru....php?t=1039566

anyway I put also the images for our future purposes and waf archive

Thanks in advance, regards

[Br. James]

Hi Francesco,

I believe it has been well-established on WAF and elsewhere that the formal pattern service of tableware produced by the Bruckmann firm did not include any napkin rings. In a word, then, I believe this piece to be a fake.

With all good wishes,

Br. James

[Il_brillante]

Hi Br. James, my friend

Always thanks for your kind and fast reply! I agree, same doubts here this is why I posted this thread. Looking through our WAF archive I have seen an interesting thread regard these “rings” and some bell rang to me. Thanks again for confirmation!

I wish you all my regards, F.

[Berghof]

We can always count on a well written thoughtful response from James.

A couple of us discussed this in the pinned AH silverware thread. I'm just posting the link for referrence. I also reached out to the moderator a couple days back and haven't heard back yet. I hope that estand category isn't on autopilot.

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...618513&page=73


.

[CPB]

I also messaged a moderator a week ago about this, and still the listing remains.

[Br. James]

Many thanks, friends! I would never want to see a fellow-collector risking hard-earned money when that risk could be avoided!

And to all here, I wish you a blessed Triduum of Holy Week and an Easter celebration of joy...though the current pandemic precludes celebrating with our friends together. As the old adage goes: "This, too, shall pass" -- and the sooner, the better!

Blessings to all,

Br. James

[STLMatt]

The napkin rings that are accepted are oval
Which have shown up before
But still never seen in period photosi

[Wim Vangossum]

I made a link to this thread.


Regards, Wim

[Ric Ferrari]

Hi Francesco,

I believe it has been well-established on WAF and elsewhere that the formal pattern service of tableware produced by the Bruckmann firm did not include any napkin rings. In a word, then, I believe this piece to be a fake.

With all good wishes,

Br. James

Hello Br. James,

I would call it a fantasy piece.......do you agree ?

By looking at overall features, probably obtained by casting a (silver ?) alloy in a mold.

Ric

[Berghof]

This is definitely a fantasy piece. My opinion is this started life as a thin rectangular section of some sort of sheet metal...perhaps silver plated, then the party eagle was stamped, then the metal was rolled and joined. The Bruckmann hallmark & silver content was stamped as you can see the bruckmann overlapping the seam where the metal was joined. The greek pattern engraving was probably the last step.

I pointed out multiple examples with multiple silver contents stamped on them in the pinned AH thread. .800, .925 & .935


Mike
.

[Br. James]

Hi Ric,

I would absolutely agree that these are fantasy pieces -- both the ones with the "AH" and the "RK" initials flanking the eagle. IMO it's better to avoid ALL napkin rings of this sort, as there is no provenance that they ever existed during the period.

Cheers, and a blessed Easter,

Br. James

[Br. James]

Hi Mike,

Right on the money! The Bruckmann firm was long-established and top quality in their line, so no casual measures were taken by them. Indeed, I'm sure that's why Atelier Troost -- where the Formal and the Informal Table Services for Hitler and the Reichschancellery were originally designed -- called upon the Bruckmann firm to produce these designs in the first place.

A blessed holiday to you and yours, my friend,

Br. James

[Maximus71]

Unfortunately some big name dealers swear they are original for the sake of there own pockets, I have seen oval shaped DR napkin ring holders, the oval shape was used to prevent them from rolling off the table during train travel. But the AH ones are pure fantasy as others have said.

[Br. James]

Unfortunately even "big-name dealers" are human and rely on their experience when classifying artifacts they are offering for sale, and this always comes back to the importance of the education and the experience of the individual historian and collector when considering a purchase...as well as the terms of the dealer's return policy, of course!

Unfortunately, each of us has a box or a drawer marked "junk" or "fakes," where we have placed articles that we bought in good faith and later discovered to be phony, often many years after the purchase! It's part of life...

Best wishes for a blessed Eastertide,

Br. James

[Alan from OZ]

The napkin rings that are accepted are oval
Which have shown up before

Can anyone provide a picture of the oval ones which STLMatt is referring to?

AfO