Breakfast fork

Breakfast fork with four tines. The tines are curved and taper towards the tip. The handle, made of gilded silver and white porcelain overlay, is bent to the right and adorned with a three-dimensional, raised chequerboard pattern at both ends. It features painted decoration on both sides in the form of colourful flowers. On the obverse, there is a bouquet consisting of alcea, wild roses, and purple sweet peas. On the reverse, there is a pink tulip, marigolds, and blue delphinium along with a cornflower. On the underside of the tines, there is the hallmark "Malcz" and the mark "12."

In the Russian-occupied territory until 1851, silver was hallmarked in lots, typically 12 lots. This meant an alloy containing 12/16 silver (fineness 750). A 750 fineness mark means that silver constitutes 75% of the alloy, while the remaining 25% is other metals. Silver with a 750 fineness has a silvery-white colour and a very high light reflectivity, giving the items made from it a high gloss.

The Karol Filip Malcz Silverware Factory was established in 1828, located in building no. 378 on Krakowskie Przedmieście in Warsaw. The company produced practical items while maintaining an exceptionally high artistic standard. The factory mainly manufactured tableware such as cutlery, sugar bowls, salt cellars, teapots, milk jugs, candlesticks, candelabras, as well as mirror frames and liturgical vessels. The wares marked with the "Malcz" stamp and the company trademark, an anchor in an oval, were often awarded prizes at various exhibitions and fairs.

Michał Rajchert