Napkin A H

[Knight]

Please help to see this napkin, your opinion? Thank you!

http://www.antiquerue.com/viewthread...d=16712&extra=

[Knight]

Experts save your knowledge? Thank you!!

[Gregorio Torres]

To trust in this kind of items is allways a question of faith... and I haven´t it.
How many napkins, forks, dishes or spoons for AH personal use are in the market? Several factories must have been producing such items during the Third Reich to produce this amount of items. Main part of them must be necesarily fakes though a few of them could be authentic.
Take my advice: save your money.

[Knight]

Thank you! There are other opinions?

[Br. James]

Dear Knight,

I agree with Gregorio in the matter of trust. As I understand it, each napkin and tablecloth embossed with the AH + eagle emblem was hand-embroidered with that monogram for the piece, and much -- perhaps most -- of the linen pieces were gifts to the Führer by admirers, well-wishers and/or those who wanted to curry favor with him. And since each piece is an individual work of art, so to speak, each one will be slightly different from any other. The monogram on the napkin you are showing has similar attributes to others seen and displayed/photographed over the decades. The key here, to which Gregorio referred, is provenance. Since anyone with the necessary skill, even today, could sit down and embroider a similar monogram onto a napkin or a linen tablecloth, and it would appear to be as 'original' as any other, given the individuality of hand-work, the question must hang on answering "Where did this napkin come from; who 'liberated' it from one of Hitler's residences, and when; and does it come with a written statement of authenticity?" If these questions are all answered positively, then there would be at least some degree of reason to accept this piece as genuine; if not, then it could have been made in India or Argentina last year...

Hope this is helpful. Best of luck,

Br. James

[luftwaffe blue]

Experts save your knowledge? Thank you!!

Do you think we sit about all day awaiting your really important questions? I wouldn't bother assisting you purely on your lack of manners.

[JoeW]

If I am not mistaken, the link to the Asian forum above indicates the above piece is from the offerings of Snyder's Treasures. 'Nuf said.

[Knight]

Thank you for your reply! The following item in this link is also doubtful whether the authenticity of it? Believe it or not is one thing, and identification of authenticity is another matter. Collection is not the feel of things, there must be identification of the argument. In short, extremely grateful to you! I would also like to look at with the exchange of experts.

http://snyderstreasures.com/pages/linens.htm

[Gregorio Torres]

... Collection is not the feel of things, there must be identification of the argument. ...

This is no posible in this kind of items, as Br. James has explained perfectly.

[ErichS]

Here's an original to compare from my collection. Sorry for the small pic.

[BrianK]

ErichS' pic matches the known examples. Knight's pic I have never seen before.

[Knight]

Once again, thank you for your pointing!

[Br. James]

Dear Knight,

Thanks for providing the link to the Snyder's Treasurers website section displaying Charlie Snyder's selection of AH-embroidered napkins and tablecloths. His pieces are certainly impressive but, here again, I note that none of the descriptions of these items mentions any provenance supporting its originality, so how is the consumer/collector to be assured of originality?

Thanks to Erich for sharing the photo of his AH Formal Pattern tableware and an AH napkin. When comparing this napkin to those on Charlie's website, his appears to come with the signs of age that one might expect from a linen cloth that is at least 70 years old and has perhaps traveled around the world under less-than-optimum circumstances! While hard items like silverware and medals can travel fairly easily and arrive almost intact, the circumstances surrounding the movement and storage of cloth -- such as napkins, tablecloths, uniform parts, flags, etc. -- are often difficult to maintain; cloth gets dirty, gets torn and abused, gets moth-eaten, etc. These living elements appear to be present in the napkin from Erich's collection, but Charlie's pieces all seem to be neat and clean and pristine...after all these years...

Br. James

[ErichS]

Dear Knight,

Thanks for providing the link to the Snyder's Treasurers website section displaying Charlie Snyder's selection of AH-embroidered napkins and tablecloths. His pieces are certainly impressive but, here again, I note that none of the descriptions of these items mentions any provenance supporting its originality, so how is the consumer/collector to be assured of originality?

Thanks to Erich for sharing the photo of his AH Formal Pattern tableware and an AH napkin. When comparing this napkin to those on Charlie's website, his appears to come with the signs of age that one might expect from a linen cloth that is at least 70 years old and has perhaps traveled around the world under less-than-optimum circumstances! While hard items like silverware and medals can travel fairly easily and arrive almost intact, the circumstances surrounding the movement and storage of cloth -- such as napkins, tablecloths, uniform parts, flags, etc. -- are often difficult to maintain; cloth gets dirty, gets torn and abused, gets moth-eaten, etc. These living elements appear to be present in the napkin from Erich's collection, but Charlie's pieces all seem to be neat and clean and pristine...after all these years...

Br. James

And a word of warning, most items on Snyders site are reproductions and there are many threads on WAF devoted to him.

[Knight]

Dear Sirs! Thanks again for your attention. I purchased in Moscow napkins, napkin may have relations with the Soviet Union veterans. Then I made a comparison on the Snyder site, I respect that site, I do not denigrate it. If the napkin is correct, it may be the only one in China.