An outstanding cake service of Dutch Amsterdam School flatware

Price range: Sold

For sale is this silver and enamel cake service of flatware comprising six forks, a cream ladle, a sugar sifter, butter knife, cake slice and sugar tongs.  In total eleven pieces.  Each piece is a work of art, beautifully made and designed.  The gauge is very heavy and each piece still has its original satin finish patina.  The subtle curvature of the handles appears to have been inspired by Charles Rennie Mackintosh famous spoon and fork set (see link), with the overall art nouveau design and subtle enamel circles very much in the Jan Eisenloeffel Amsterdam School style.

This set is in fact fully marked for a leading Finnish jeweller and retailer of the period Hjalmar Fagerroos and dated 1909 (to the stems).  Each piece also carries Dutch export, duty marks and 934 standard marks (to the bowls/forks) and there is no doubt, based on this and their design, that this set was made in Holland by the firm of Van Kempen & Sons.  Their mark may have been over stamped on the bowls with the Fagerroos mark.

Van Kempen were established in 1789 and were (in fact are) one of Holland’s leading silver manufacturers, granted Royal status in 1858 and becoming Van Kempen & Begeer in 1917. In the period c 1900-1920 they produced rare Amsterdam School designed silver, often flatware.  This is now highly collectible with many pieces held by museums, including the Rijksmuseum and British Museum- see link.

The set comes with a modern specially fitted box measuring 40cm x 28.5 cm x 6.25 cm.

For more information on the Amsterdam School see this link.

Maker: Van Kempen (attributed, with Hjalmar Fagerroos retailer mark)

Designer: Unknown

Date : 1909

Marks: See images.  Finnish assay marks 800 standard, Dutch export marks 934 standard

Material: Sterling silver (934 standard) and enamel

Condition: Excellent, small cracks to two enamels, some scratches to cake slice

Size: Cake slice 22 cm long, forks 13.5 cm long

Weight: 324 grams, 11.4 oz total

SKU: A955-1

Additional Information

Period

Art nouveau, Arts and crafts