Roycroft Tableware

This exquisite early 20th-century painted sheet metal tray is a beautiful example of vintage decorative artistry. Featuring a delicately hand-painted floral design, the centerpiece s...

Vintage cutlery set was realized in the mid-20th century. This silver plate vintage set is made up of 61 cutleries (forks, knifes, spoons) reali...

A Fine Early 20th Century 152 Piece Austrian Dinnerware Flatware Set by Berndorfer Metallwaaren-Fabrik, stamped 'Berndorf Alpacca', The Neoclassical Revival style set of Alpacca flatware comprising of: 12 Fish knives 12 Salad forks 12 Salad knives 12 Pasta spoons 12 Dessert spoons 12 Coffee spoons 12 Tea spoons 12 Ice-cream spoons 1 Ice thong 1 Soup ladle 1 Serving spoon 1 Salad spoon 1 Sauce/Gravy ladle 1 Meat carving knife 1 Meat carving fork 1 Salad fork All inside its original lined wooden storage-traveling cabinet. (See all images). Circa: Vienna, 1900-1930. The Alpacca alloy was developed in 1823 by the German chemist Dr. Ernst August Geitner (1783-1852). It was very similar in its appearance to silver, therefore, this new alloy was first called "Argentan". It consisted of 20% nickel, 55% copper and 25% zinc. The new silver-imitating alloy soon became very popular. The Gebrueder Henninger (Henninger Bros.) proposed a similar alloy (5-30% nickel, 45-70% copper and 8-45% zinc with trace amounts of lead, tin and iron) which they called "Neusilber". Later both Argentan and Neusilber were used under the trade name of Alpacca (or Alpakka). The great advantage of the use of Alpacca alloy as the base metal for silver plating is that the appearance of the objects does not change significantly with the wearing away of the silver layer and, unlike sterling silver, it does not require frequent polishing or cleaning due to tarnishing. The earliest known Berndorf Alpacca mark (No.1) was introduced around 1880 and used until 1891. I found it on the bottom of a 30 cl teapot bearing the inscription KRIEAU, which corresponds to the "Wiener Krieau", the famous race course in Vienna. The mark No.1 represents an oval of 3.0 x 3.6 mm size bearing the lettering "BMF ALPACCA" (which means Berndorfer Metallwaaren Fabrik or Berndorf Metalware Factory) with the "M" and "F" letters being fused. Inside the oval there is a profile of a walking bear looking down. This mark is quite rare. BIBLIOGRAPHY - Ingrid Haslinger, Tafelkultur Marke Berndorf, Das Niederoesterreichische Erfolgsunternehmen Arthur Krupps (Ketterl Verlag, Wien, 1998), pp.1-174, (in German). - Dedo von Kerssenbrock-Krosigk and Claudia Kanowski, Modern Art of Metallwork (Berlin: Broehan Museum, 2001), 1-598. - Musterbuch ueber Tafelgeraete in Alpacca-Silber I, Alpacca-Silber II und Alpacca, Unversilbert (Berndorfer Haus, Berlin, 1928), pp.1-53, (in German). - Waltraud Neuwirth, Bluehender Jugendstil Oesterreich, Band 2: Firmen und Marken [Art Nouveau in Blossom - Austria, Vol. 2: Companies and Marks]. Vienna: Selbstverlag Dr. Waltraud Neuwirth, 1991, 1-288 (in German). - David N. Nikogosyan, 2008, Marks of Silverplated Hollowware...

Mappin & Webb silver plate cutlery set for 12 people, England, early 20th century. Complete for 12 people. A total of 130 pieces: 12 large kni...

Early 20th century set of French copper lidded pots 5 lidded copper pots, French early 20th century with copper handles and knob with twist patter...

Very beautiful blue and white earthenware tableware service dating from the beginning of the 20th century (1900) and signed by the French manufacturer Badonviller. Beautiful decorat...

In the canon of American Arts and Crafts, few names command reverence like Roycroft—and few objects better capture its ethos than this hammered copper tray. Made circa 1910, its surf...

Oval tray with handles and hand-pierced edge with leaf motif. The tray is completely handmade. The handles are in silver with fusion processing that take up the leaf design. The so...

Set of 6 Sarreguemines earthenware dessert plates dating from the 1920s. "Royat" model decorated with white and blue flowers. Good quality and good condition.

Mappin & Webb silver plate cutlery set for 12 people. England, early 20th century. A total of 151 pieces: 12 large knifes, 12 large forks an...

Early 20th century set of French copper lidded pots, circa 1930. Set of 14 pieces copper cooking pots, French early 20th century Inside lined with...

Charming Art Nouveau Table Tray and Broom Set. The pair includes the wood sweeper from marked British/England as well as the copper French tray. Great addition to add to an existing...