Can someone help me identify the hall mark shown? The picture is of a Japanese Satsuma buckle set in either silver or white metal and probably dates to between 1890 and 1910. No other marks. Apologies for the quality of the picture. The mark is very tiny. Thank you in anticipation!
2 Likes
Whole item photo, please.
The character visible in the photo is the Chinese kanji character for “silver” (Jap. gin, Chinese yĂn).
銀
1 Like
Thank you! Do you have any idea where it was made?
Whole item photo, please…
1 Like
We’ve got that and it shows a maker’s mark. So once we identify the mark we know exactly where and sort of when it was made. Unfortunately the Spicers Auction shot is too fuzzy for my limited skills and eyesight.
Here again we are being asked to comment on an item which may not be owned by the inquirer?
Does that worry you or the forum owners? It seems to happen rather a lot and I suppose if you just say nice things that turn out to be positive all is great but what if its completely bogus? What then does your completely accurate snd truthful com public uttering, uncalled for by the owner, do to value? The defence is always the comment was accurate.
But in the era of SLAP suits that might not help much.
CRWW
2 Likes
Hello, I am a private collector and have nothing to do with auction houses. My interest is trying to identify the makers mark on this buckle.
Thank you!
2 Likes
That was rather my point!
CRWW
2 Likes
Don’t mind Guildhall and Bartholomew too much, Polly. They’re brilliant and funny, often hilarious. And free. And they know silver.
My question to all, how on earth does one wear these lovely things? Geisha did not wear belts, and the obi-jime had a bead threaded onto it. I have a Russian Niello buckle, but I cannot understand how it was worn. A manly object, my niello, perhaps the Cossacks pulled sashes through it. Gentlemen?
2 Likes
In all my many years, I have never met a felon called Polly.
2 Likes
Thanks, bro! Every era has its fashions and trends. Some embrace them, others are bound by a code, and still others value comfort and freedom rather than succumb to uniformity. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been in that third group of lucky ones. My only jewelry is a gypsy signet ring (also known as a Chester), and a more or less legendary watch. I always wear my Levi’s 501s with a limited edition belt with a cowboy buckle. Ask about shoes… Military leather boots or LOWA Zephyrs. That’s me! 
Ansil Nadir was convicted of theft from a closely-held company, Polly Peck International. A British court gave him 12 years.
But he was not the worst. The most notorious Polly was not convicted of anything indeed she had an entire hotel built around her. But she was fowl-mouthed and slandered many of her guests.
Her owner, the widow of a Shanghai sea captain had inherited the bird from her husband who had passed. The couple never had children and the entire estate, which was considerable downtown real estate, had been left with a clause in it stipulating Polly had to continue to live and thrive on the property until her death.
And this was a problem as parrots generally live to a good age and this particular bird proposed to set the record.
In due course my builder client purchased the property and took over the care of Polly. They never got on well. Apparently she had associated some disturbance to her sleep one night to him or his construction crew. So whenever he appeared in her quarters she swore at him accusing him of unnatural acts with close relatives and much else. My client asked me to secure a court order silencing the slanderous bird.
I framed the application in public nuisance and got nowhere. The judge, unimpressed with my pleadings, order the bird attend at his chambers where he would listen to her fulminate.
The pernicious bird fell in love with the judge. She was much taken with his red robes and cooed and billed at him in such shameless adoration the case against her failed completely.
But to return to your point, I don’t think there was an accusation of felonious behaviour rather a short diatribe on the dangers of us commenting adversely on property without invitation from the owner where forum supplicant submits third party property pictures as in this instance.
It seem unlikely even civil, rather than, as you urge, criminal culpability would attach to the submitter of such material unless you could allege a pre-existing circumstance to conspire to reduce price and even then. My inquiries were aimed in the general direction of the owners of the forum who no doubt would claim the now classic facebook/X defence in the US and by extension the UK.
CRWW
1 Like