Urania - Centrepiece (3) - pewter - Art Nouveau table piece with 2 candelabras

Urania factory in luxury tableware made of silver tin. Urania was leading in the material they used, especially in the gloss level that could be achieved. Art experts who wrote stories for trade magazines mainly discussed this.

I have been an active collector and researcher of Jugendstil tin for over 30 years. I notice that when spots are visible on an object, people tend to be more hesitant in bidding. I would like to share some thoughts on this and aim to shed light on the production process.

Due to complex and sometimes fragile executions with many details, a lot of experimentation was done in casting techniques, assembly, and various soldering methods. There was sufficient technical knowledge, but not much experience with complex shapes. As a result, many of these connections were, in hindsight, not intended for daily use. Therefore, after more than 100 years, they truly leave their mark. Similarly, the quality in the finishes—gold-plated, nickel silver, and silver—also deteriorates over time.
Is everything then fragile and poor? No, certainly not, as evidenced by the minimal connections of the scale soldered onto the woman's head of the centerpiece.

The condition of an object is only truly visible when it has been cleaned and polished. The experience shows that after this process, all issues come to light. Therefore, your collection also has defects and hidden flaws that you may not be aware of. I have taken the risk to show you the actual state of the object. This means that if your collection still has the old patina, problems may not be visible. The objects you can purchase after polishing will provide an exact representation.

The large centerpiece is marked with Holland Urania and the model number.
There is only one candlestick marked.
This set is depicted in the catalog and is polished to a silver finish.

- one candlestick has no soldering on the top where the arms meet. It is not broken but simply not soldered. This does not affect its strength. I could have chosen to have it soldered and you wouldn't have known. Out of respect for the way craftsmen sometimes had to work under harsh conditions and tight deadlines, I chose not to have it soldered. And yes, sometimes things can go wrong.

- The other has one arm that received insufficient solder during assembly. A small gap can be seen in the solder joint. Otherwise, this connection is as sturdy as the other candlestick. These issues occurred during the assembly process. I have attached several photos from different angles. To compare, the large scale is just held in place on the head and the two outer arms with a few solder points. It is simply very sturdy.

The female figures are hollow. To allow heat to escape during soldering, there is a small round hole in the hairpiece. If it weren't there, the whole thing would explode or implode.

The candlesticks are 34 cm tall, 20 cm wide, and the base is 13.5 cm in diameter.

Of course, it will be shipped well packed and insured.