Salad servers - .835 silver - 1800-1850 - Biedermeier Slacouvert

"Rare Biedermeier Slotted Cutlery" – Hermanus van Assen, Leeuwarden, 1830 – 166 gram silver – Inscription 'JE' and '3'
Description:
This unique Biedermeier slacouvert is made by Hermanus van Assen, a well-known silversmith from Leeuwarden whose widow continued the business after his death. The object is an early 19th-century example of Dutch silver and exhibits a two-piece construction (fork and spoon), which makes it versatile for serving salads, vegetables, or cold dishes.
- Marks: Year letter V (1830), Minerva head, Dutch lion (2nd fineness), master mark (VA under an Asian mark).
- Dimensions: Length 18 cm, width 5.5 cm.
- Weight: 166 grams.
- Condition: Excellent, with clear inscriptions "JE" and "3" on the inside (not visible when the cutlery is assembled).
- Art-historical context: Slacouvertes like these were popular in bourgeois households during the Biedermeier period. The practical simplicity and functional form are typical of this style.
- Provenance: From Van Stockum’s Veilingen B.V., 27-03-1996, lot 137.
- Literature:
- Fries Zilver (J. van der Veen, 2005, pp. 102–104).
- Nederlands Zilver in de 19e Eeuw (Citroen, 2006).
- Museale vergelijking: Similar slacouverts can be found in the Fries Museum, Leeuwarden and the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.