Almost always found with damage to the delicate enamel or corrosion from salt or excessive tarnish, this specimen is as close to perfect as possible. Marius Hammer (his hallmark is found on the base along with the Norway silver standard of 930s) was a contemporary of Carl Faberge and like Carl for Russian enamels, Marius Hammer’s works are considered the best works from Norway. Plique-a-jour, or roughly translated as’light of day’ – refers to the suspension of enamel resulting in a stained glass effect. The suspended enamel is translucent. The interior bottom is bright cobalt guilloche enamel (transparent layer of enamel over a machine-engineered ground).. The silver is gold plated. There are no missing panels. It measures 3 3/8 long from head to head. The silver filigree work is delicately and masterfully executed. A truly astounding little survivor! On a personal note, in the 25+ years that we have been antique dealers, we have never seen another one of these and only got to see one just like it on the Antiques Roadshow. The item “RARE Marius Hammer Plique A Jour Sterling and Enamel Open Salt HORSE HEADS” is in sale since Monday, June 4, 2018. This item is in the category “Antiques\Silver\Sterling Silver (.925)\Salt Cellars”. The seller is “andthisisnow” and is located in Deerfield Beach, Florida. This item can be shipped to United States.
- Brand: Marius Hammer
- Age: 1850-1899
- Composition: Sterling Silver