✅ SOLVED Any Silver Experts? Looks like Draculas Treasure - But what is it?

[UnderMiner]

Any Silver Experts? Looks like Dracula's Treasure - But what is it?

This is one of those things that you would expect to find in a long forgotten secret room in an old castle. The stuff dreams are made of for some. But for the years I've owned it I've never been able to figure out what it is.

Through research on the numbers and symbols I've discovered that it was made some time after 1880 by German silver smith Wilhelm Binder. The top little floral plate cover unscrews and there is a little threaded hole just big enough for the 1cm wide floral plate cover screw. But is the floral plate cover just a place holder for when this thing, whatever it is, is not in use? I've long believed this artifact to potentially be the base of a candelabra but I've never in all my years seen one like this, nor one that would function like this. Could it be the base of some kind of serving dish, a platter holder maybe that can be screwed onto the base? Or is this thing just what it is - a fancy decoration that serves no purpose?

 

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[masterjedi]

Very cool.... how tall is it?

 

[UnderMiner]

Very cool.... how tall is it?

11.25 inches just about.

 

[HAPPYCAMPER]

Imagine was a similar piece to this one?...Toppled over and glass broke,just a possibilty WILHELM BINDER JUGENDSTIL 800 SILBER IRIS AUFSATZ JARDINIERE ART NOUVEAU SILVER | eBay

*
***does have ornate center piece holding glass like yours has.
*** I would find a crystal dish have made to fit...make a complete beautiful looking piece!!

 

[DCMatt]

The markings are Wilhelm Binder. I'm guessing early to mid 20th C.

Imagine was a similar piece to this one?...Toppled over and glass broke,just a possibilty WILHELM BINDER JUGENDSTIL 800 SILBER IRIS AUFSATZ JARDINIERE ART NOUVEAU SILVER | eBay

*
***does have ornate center piece holding glass like yours has.
*** I would find a crystal dish have made to fit...make a complete beautiful looking piece!!

 

[UnderMiner]

Imagine was a similar piece to this one?...Toppled over and glass broke,just a possibilty WILHELM BINDER JUGENDSTIL 800 SILBER IRIS AUFSATZ JARDINIERE ART NOUVEAU SILVER | eBay

*
***does have ornate center piece holding glass like yours has.
*** I would find a crystal dish have made to fit...make a complete beautiful looking piece!!

Holy smokes! Thank you!
That is definitely what it is, I'm sure of it! I will find/make a crystal dish and one day use it for its intended purpose.
Talk about an obscure artifact. Until today I never even heard of a silver "Iris Centerpiece" hahaha! I guess it was meant for fruit, perhaps the world's most luxurious fruit bowl, awesome!

I hate to think of what happened to the crystal dish, probably smashed very long ago and then the family just never used the silver stand ever again, and the piece tarnished to the blackest-black long neglected, disposed of, and then saved from ultimate destruction by a chance encounter with me. I'll make sure the beauty and purpose of this piece is once again realized. And holy smokes, that example sold for the equivalent of $1,000! Damn! And this one is even fancier than the example piece, I'm really happy now

 

[UnderMiner]

The markings are Wilhelm Binder. I'm guessing early to mid 20th C.

Just looked up "JUGENDSTIL" it means "Art Nouveau", which apparently enjoyed the highest popularity from 1890–1910. I'm going to stick with this time period as I don't think Binder would have had much business in WWI, and by the 1920's this style was out of fashion.

 

[HAPPYCAMPER]

If it was me,I wouldnt clean it,I like the look...unless of course if your hands get black by moving it..If ya ever get a dish mounted like to see picture.

Holy smokes! Thank you!
That is definitely what it is, I'm sure of it! I will find/make a crystal dish and one day use it for its intended purpose.
Talk about an obscure artifact. Until today I never even heard of a silver "Iris Centerpiece" hahaha! I guess it was meant for fruit, perhaps the world's most luxurious fruit bowl, awesome!

I hate to think of what happened to the crystal dish, probably smashed very long ago and then the family just never used the silver stand ever again, and the piece tarnished to the blackest-black long neglected, disposed of, and then saved from ultimate destruction by a chance encounter with me. I'll make sure the beauty and purpose of this piece is once again realized. And holy smokes, that example sold for the equivalent of $1,000! Damn! And this one is even fancier than the example piece, I'm really happy now

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

If it was me,I wouldnt clean it,I like the look...unless of course if your hands get black by moving it..If ya ever get a dish mounted like to see picture.

By cleaning it, that will protect it, the tarnish can actually eat into it.If it hasn't already.

 

[trdking]

Very Cool I love the resources of the persons online here!

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

As a thought for a way to display it nicely without breaking the bank (or a crystal bowl trying to drill it) take it to a lamp store and see if they have a replacement flat globe for a ceiling fixture that might fit.

 

[HAPPYCAMPER]

Didnt realize that..good to know.

By cleaning it, that will protect it, the tarnish can actually eat into it.If it hasn't already.