Crystal Decanter With Silver Mounted Neck. Germany

An elegant tall decanter of clear crystal with a silver mounted neck, made in Germany at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The pear shaped body rises into a slender elongated neck terminating in a cylindrical silver mount. The decanter retains its original crystal stopper of elongated drop form. The crystal surface is richly decorated with geometric diamond cutting. The ornament combines large multi-rayed star motifs, diamond diaper fields, wedge cuts and elongated vertical facets, producing a characteristic play of refracted light. The underside is cut with a large radiating star. The restrained, polished surface of the silver mount provides an effective contrast to the richly cut crystal. In its stylistic vocabulary and workmanship, the piece belongs to European decorative arts of the Historicist period around the turn of the 20th century, when finely cut crystal was frequently combined with silver mounts in objects intended for formal table settings. Hallmarks: The silver neck bears an "800" fineness mark, the German state hallmark of crescent moon and crown, and a maker's mark visually readable as "M". The crescent and crown marking system, combined with a numerical indication of silver fineness, was introduced in Germany in the late 1880s. Dimensions: Height 42 cm. Width 15 cm. Condition: Good condition. Minor traces of age and use to the silver mount. The crystal stopper is preserved.