Silver & Samson Porcelain Mirrored Inkstand

Overview

This is a Louis XVI style silver and porcelain mirrored inkstand (encrier plateau à miroir), crafted in Vienna around 1900 (c. 1886–1910) by the Viennese silversmith Georg Adam Schied (1837–1921), featuring porcelain decorated in the style of 18th-century Sèvres or Chelsea, likely produced by the renowned Paris firm Edmé Samson & Cie.

Description

• Mirrored Base (Plateau à Miroir):
  • Frame & Gallery: An oval solid silver tray featuring a pierced/perforated gallery rim (galerie ajourée) above a stepped silver molding.
  • Mirror Inset: A fitted oval mirror plate forms the top surface, reflecting the porcelain inkwell.
  • Underside: A solid dark rosewood (bois de palissandre) base plate secured centrally with a silver screw/nut, supported on four flattened spherical bun feet.
• Porcelain Inkwell:
  • Form: Centrally positioned baluster-shaped porcelain vase.
  • Decoration: Hand-painted on a crisp white ground with garlands and lattice swags of pink roses and green leaves in neoclassical (Louis XVI) taste.
• Lid & Mounts:
  • Hinged Cap: A silver collar and hinged dome lid.
  • Finial: Prominently topped with three porcelain rosebuds set against chased silver leaves/calyxes.
  • Liner: Retains its original clear glass insert.

Additional Information

1. Silversmith & Origin (Austro-Hungarian)

• Maker: The mark G.A.S belongs to Georg Adam Schied (1837–1921), a high-end silversmith in Vienna known for fine hollowware, luxury boxes, and enamels.
• Austrian Hallmark: The Tête de Diane (Diana’s Head) mark inside a shaped cartouche with the numeral 2 and the 900 stamp represents the Austro-Hungarian imperial guarantee mark for 2nd standard silver (900/1000 purity), used from 1886 to 1922.

2. Porcelain Attribution (Samson)

• Samson Porcelaines: There is an underglaze blue mark under the porcelain base resembling Edmé Samson & Cie (Paris). Samson was famous during the late 19th century for making high-quality porcelain in the 18th-century Sèvres, Meissen, and Chelsea styles. Viennese silversmiths frequently mounted imported Samson porcelain for luxury desk accessories.

3. French Import Marks (Boar’s Head & Rectangular Stamp)

• Boar’s Head (Hure de Sanglier): The French small-guarantee boar’s head mark is located on the silver collar/hinge.
• Explanation: This indicates the piece was imported into or officially re-assayed in France shortly after manufacture, which accounts for the rectangular import/customs mark and its historic presence in the French market.