Hi. Thank you for taking the time to answering my questions. That’s very upstanding of you and may good mojo come your way. I would like to know four (4) things about this teapot.
1) Is it Sterling silver or silver plate? There is, what I believe to be, a “95” sterling mark on the hinge. See photo.
2) There is an inscription on the bottom of the pot. I have looked at every language from The Levant to Malaysia. I have come across many languages that are close but none that are spot on. Could you please identify the language and possibly the origin of the teapot?
3) How old is it?
4) And, of course, what is the value range of this teapot?
I know that’s a lot of questions for a free appraisal… but if you don’t ask… the answer is always no; or in this case “I don’t Know”
Thank you, again, for your time,
Nick
Re: Vintage Silver? Teapot
What a lovely little teapot! Although silver isn't my speciality, let me try to help you along a bit.
What you have is an Arabic, almost certainly Moroccan, teapot used for mint tea. I've spent quite a bit of time in Morocco and every household will have at least one teapot since mint tea is served several times throughout the day. Many teapots are quite basic and low cost, some are more ornate and costly. I think yours falls somewhere in the middle.
I haven't seen very many complete sterling silver Moroccan teapots and I would venture to guess yours is a high quality silverplate, possibly made for the tourist market, as evidenced by the more European styling and the lack of steam vent in the top finial. The inside is probably brass, which makes for lovely tea, so it was definitely meant to be used.
Judging from the slightly more European design, I'd wager this was manufactured during the French occupation of Morocco, sometime between 1912-1956.
The mark on the bottom is Arabic, but I can't read it. I'm not quite sure what to make of the 95, since 95% silver would make an atypical sterling alloy, but it's certainly worth checking out. Just be warned that even today, hallmarks on silver from non-regulated regions, are not always what they seem.
As for value, with what I've seen here, assuming it's a nice silver plate, I'd expect to pay between $50-75 for it. If it's a heavy sterling, that price might as much as double. Personally, I'd keep it, buy a set of beautiful Moroccan class tea cups and learn how to make Maghrebi mint tea in style.
Thanks for sharing your piece!
Re: Vintage Silver? Teapot
For pieces like this it's best to have them tested for silver content, that will at least give you Silver "Scrap Value" to start from. Currently Sterling scrap value on a piece of this weight would be about $175.00- $180.00.