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Lot 338A
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Early 20th C. Dutch & Austrian Silver Sugar Casters - Pierced Domes
Early 20th C. Dutch & Austrian Silver Sugar Casters - Pierced Domes
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Western Europe, Netherlands and Austria, ca. 1900–1935 CE. A pair of silver sugar casters that pose two national idioms side by side. The larger, Dutch piece (95.2% silver) rises on a stepped circular foot to a swelling baluster body, crowned by a tall pierced bell-form cover whose interlaced circular fretwork lets sugar drift free; a turned, knopped finial completes the silhouette. Its more petite Austrian companion (80.7% silver) takes an urn shape, the ovoid body engraved with a graceful swan amid reeds and water plants, surmounted by a domed, pierced cap. Both were made for the dining table, dusting sugar or spice over fruit and pastries in an age that prized such refinements. Together they trace the persistence of the 18th-century lighthouse caster form into early 20th-century European silversmithing. Size of larger: 3" D x 7.5" H (7.6 cm D x 19.1 cm H); silver quality: Dutch: 95.2%, Austrian: 80.7%; total weight: 308.1 grams.

The taller caster's purity of 95.2% approaches the historic Dutch first standard (0.934) long associated with Netherlandish silver, while the Austrian piece's 80.7% sits near the 800 standard common to Austro-Hungarian wares of the period. The pierced bell or dome cover descends from the early 18th-century English "lighthouse" caster, a form that radiated across Europe and remained a fixture of the well-appointed table well into the modern era.

Please note that the silver meltdown value of this lot as of June 2026 is $620.79.

Provenance: private Loveland, Colorado, USA collection

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Item # 202764

  • Condition: Excellent. Both have some light surface wear and scattered areas of patina but are otherwise intact and excellent.

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by Artemis Fine Arts
June 25, 2026 9:00 AM MDT
686 S. Taylor Avenue
Suite 108
Louisville, CO, US 80027

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000