Object Description
A pair of very handsome antique silver seagulls made in Hanau, Germany expressly for the American market.
These large models are beautifully detailed and were probably a special order, as seagulls are very rare as a subject (opposed to the very common animals such as pheasants and cockerels).
The seagulls bear the 19th century German mark of 13 – the early German standard of silver which translates to .812 (81.2 %) purity.
They also have sterling silver struck underneath the wings and tails. The reason for this is that their master model (as it were) would have been copied, and, when copying, the original German marks would have been left in.
Knowing that the order was for the American, or perhaps Canadian market, they would have had to have made them of a higher purity, so they were hand cast and chased in the sterling standard .925 (92.5 %) purity.
Dimensions: height 23 cm, length 28 cm; weight 67 troy oz.