Cutlery set (4) - .833 silver, .800 silver

Set of 4 silver flatware: (described in the order of the photos)

- An antique French ragout or sauce spoon imported to the Netherlands.
Dimensions: Length 15 cm x Width 6.3 cm x Height 4 cm.

Marks and features:
Minerva head 2: Official French national mark from 1838. 2nd fineness silver (800/1000).
Letter M: The silversmith’s personal master mark.
Right mark: A Dutch or Belgian tax/re-assay mark for the import of foreign silver.
In the bowl of the spoon is the following stamp: Walking Lion with a '2': This is the official Dutch fineness mark for second quality silver, used since 1814.

- An antique 19th-century Dutch silver sugar or sauce spoon, distinguished by a gracefully engraved, curved stem with floral Biedermeier motifs.
Dimensions: Length 17 cm x Width 4.3 cm x Height 3.7 cm.

Marks and features:
Walking Lion with '2': Indicates Dutch second fineness solid silver (833/1000), in use from 1814 to 1953.
Minerva cap: The office mark of a Dutch assay office.

- Two antique 19th-century Dutch silver sour forks or hors d’oeuvre forks in Biedermeier style, characterized by fine pierced and engraved stems. (1950-1870)
Dimensions: Length 14 cm x Width 1.6 cm x Height 2.5 cm.

The forks carry authentic Dutch silver marks, indicating a silver content of 83.3% (second fineness) and dating from the mid-19th century.

Marks and features:
Walking Lion with a '2': This is the official Dutch fineness mark for second quality silver (.833 purity), used from 1814.
Year letter: The square stamp with the letter denotes the specific production year. The Gothic or stylized letter 'e' in this shield stands for the year 1889.
Assay mark (Minerva cap): The smaller round stamps elsewhere on the silver indicate the legal assay office (such as the Schoonhoven or Utrecht office).

Origin of the silverware
The specific openwork (ajour) pattern and the placement of the marks precisely match the craftsmanship of the well-known silver factory J.M. van Kempen & Zonen from Voorschoten. This type of decoration was widely used at the time for luxury serving cutlery, such as a silver pâté or cake slice from the year 1889.

General condition is good. Only the sugar spoon has a small waviness in the handle (this can be easily hammered/remover by a silversmith).
View the photos carefully, they are part of the description.

The cutlery will be carefully packed and sent by registered mail.