Jaume Mercade

Antique Art Deco Jaume Mercade Queralt solid .916 silver handmade 196 piece flatware set that serves 12. The set is complete without a single missing piece. It is in excellent condition, just perfect with a lovely patina. The entire set is hand-wrought. The style is a genuine mix of Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Arts & Crafts. The rounded tiered handles are Art Deco, the hand-forged Hammer marks tell of their Arts & Crafts influence and the monogram is the epitome of flowing tendril like Art Nouveau design. The set is hand made by the studio of Jaume Mercade Queralt (1887-1967). Mercade was a painter, jeweler and silversmith who from 1919 taught gold and silver making at the School of Arts & Crafts in Bracelona Spain. While one can occasionally find his original jewelry and paintings on the market his silverware and hollowware is excessively rare and usually only found in museums. This set is hallmarked with Spains pre - 1934 silver hallmarks. From between 1884-1934 there were not mandatory silver hallmarks for Spanish silverware however the maker or purchaser could choose to have a professional assayer test the pieces. This large set was assayed by two different Barcelona assayers who have signed the works (except the hollow handled knives). All of the pieces are marked Mercade but some of them have the Spanish crest in wreath signifying that it is at least 916/1000 silver and LBB which is the initials of the assayer. The rest are marked Mercade SA 916/1000 and the other assayers mark which I cannot quite read. The set consists of 196 pieces that serve 12: 12 - large soup spoons at 7.6" long. 12 - table spoons at 6.75". 12 - cream soup spoons at 5.9". 12 - ice cream spoons at 5.75". 18 - teaspoons at 5.75". 12 - desert / salad forks at 7". 12 - seafood or cocktail forks at 5.95". 12 - regular / lunch forks at 6.8". 12 - dinner forks at 8.1". 12 - terrapin turtle or ramekin forks at 5.5". 12 - breakfast / desert knives at 6.75". 12 - individual butter knives at 6.25". 12 - fish knives at 8.25". 12 - luncheon knives at 7.75". 12 - dinner knives at 9.9". One large serving spoon at 10". One waffle / croquet server at 10.20". One pie / desert server at 8.9". One pickle fork at 6.6". One vegetable serving spoons at 8.1". One sardine fork at 6.05". One master butter knife at 7.05". One large meat fork at 10". One fish serving fork at 9.5". One fish server at 11.7". The Knives (Hollow handles and stainless steel blades) weigh a total of 49.035 Troy Oz. The solid silver pieces...